Braised Beef

Dinner | French

Prep time: 15 min Cook time: 4 min Servings: 8

I make this braised beef on the weekend as the foundation for a few different meals during the week. The whole beef chuck goes into a Dutch oven with vegetables and stock and then into a low oven for four hours until it falls apart. From one cook, I get eight to ten portions of shredded beef that I can pull from all week.

Braising is one of the most straightforward slow-cooking techniques there is, but the result is well beyond what the effort suggests. A tough cut of beef that would be chewy if cooked quickly transforms into something tender and rich after a long, slow cook. The cooking liquid is also worth keeping, as it makes an excellent base for soups and stews.

Ingredient Notes

Beef chuck: Beef chuck is the cut I use here and it’s well suited to long, slow braising. It has enough connective tissue and fat running through it to stay moist over four hours of cooking and become tender and easy to shred. Other cuts that work well with this technique include brisket, bolar blade and oyster blade. All of them benefit from the same low and slow approach.

Beef tallow: Beef tallow is rendered beef fat and gives a better sear and more flavour than a neutral oil when browning the meat. It can be made from the trimmed fat of the beef itself if you don’t want to buy it separately. Any neutral flavoured oil works as a substitute, though the flavour won’t be quite as rich.

Bay leaves: I use fresh bay leaves here rather than dried. Fresh bay has a more complex, slightly floral flavour compared to dried, which can taste a little flat. If you only have dried, use them, but fresh is better if you can find it. They go in whole and get removed with the vegetables before you shred the beef.

Equipment

Chopping board
Chef’s knife
Tongs
Dutch oven or heavy-based ovenproof saucepan with lid
Sieve
Large bowl

Ingredients

2kg whole beef chuck
sea salt and cracked black pepper, to season
2 tbsp beef tallow (or neutral flavoured oil)
1 brown onion, chopped
2 carrots, peeled, chopped
1 stick celery, chopped
4 cloves garlic
3 fresh bay leaves
500ml (2 cups) beef stock

Directions

Preheat the oven to 140°C fan forced (285°F). Season the beef well all over with salt.
Heat a heavy based ovenproof saucepan (with a lid) or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the tallow and let it melt.
Add the beef and cook for 12-15 minutes, turning to brown very well on all sides to seal it. Transfer to a tray.
Add the onion, carrot and celery to the pan and cook for 4-5 minutes, stirring, until softened. Add the garlic and bay leaves, then return the beef to the pan.
Pour in the stock, season with pepper and bring to a simmer. Cover with the lid and transfer to the oven.
Cook for 4 hours, until fall apart tender, (check it after 3½ hours of cooking).
Remove from the oven and leave the beef to cool in the stock for 1 hour before transferring to a wire rack over a tray until cool enough to handle.
Pass the cooking liquid through a sieve and set it aside for another use.
Pull the beef into strands into a bowl and add a few ladlefuls of the saved stock to keep it moist. Divide the beef into airtight containers and refrigerate for your next midweek meal.

Recipe notes

Chef Tips

Brown the meat

The most important step in this recipe is getting a deep, dark brown crust on all sides of the beef before it goes into the oven. Don’t rush this. It takes 12 to 15 minutes and you need to turn the beef to get colour on every side. The browning builds the flavour base for the entire braise. If the beef is sticking to the pan, it isn’t ready to turn yet. Wait for it to release naturally.

Keep the temperature low

The low oven temperature of 140°C is intentional. Braising at too high a heat will cause the muscle fibres to seize and the liquid to boil rather than gently simmer, which makes the meat stringy and tough rather than silky and tender. If in doubt, go lower rather than higher, and just add a little more time. The beef is ready when it falls apart with almost no resistance.

How to tell when the beef is done

The beef is ready when it pulls apart easily with two forks. If it’s resisting, it needs more time. I check it at the 3.5 hour mark by trying to shred a small piece. The fibres should separate without much effort. If you have to force it, give it another 30 minutes and check again.

Let it cool in the stock

Once the beef comes out of the oven, resist the urge to shred it straight away. Let it cool in the cooking liquid for at least 1 hour before removing it. This gives the meat time to reabsorb some of the stock, which keeps it moist and full of flavour. If you pull it out while it’s still very hot, it will dry out quickly.

Storage

Store the shredded beef in airtight containers in the fridge for up to 5 days. Keep the cooking liquid stored separately in the fridge for up to 5 days, or freeze it for up to 3 months. It makes an excellent base for soups, stews and curries. The shredded beef is not recommended for freezing as the texture changes significantly when thawed.

FAQs

What does braising mean? Braising is a slow-cooking method where meat is first seared at high heat to develop colour and flavour, then cooked low and slow in a small amount of liquid in a covered pot. The technique is particularly effective for tougher cuts with lots of connective tissue, which break down over time and make the meat tender. The word comes from the French for coal, referring to the old method of surrounding a pot with hot coals.

Can I make this ahead of time? Yes, and I’d encourage it. This is designed to be made on the weekend so you have portioned beef ready to use across the week. It keeps well in the fridge for up to 5 days and the flavour actually improves after a day or two.

Can I freeze the braised beef? I don’t recommend freezing the shredded beef as the texture changes significantly when thawed and it can become dry and grainy. The cooking liquid, however, freezes well for up to 3 months and is worth holding onto as a stock base.

What can I make with the leftover braised beef? It’s very versatile. I use it in the white bean and braised beef stew, quesadillas, noodle soups, jaffles and tacos. It also works well stirred through pasta with a bit of the cooking liquid and some parmesan, or piled into a sandwich with some pickles.