Braised Beef

This is another recipe from Samantha - when I get a recipe from her, I always know it's going to turn out delicious, and this was no exception. After being braised, the meat is incredibly tender and flavorful. You could serve it any way you like - I decided to serve it over egg noodles. You can see that I made this recipe my own by omitting ingredients that I didn't have (or that we don't care for!) - I know that Samantha's recipes are never exact, and they're usually pretty flexible in terms of measurements and required ingredients.

Braised Beef

One huge ass beef roast (Samantha's words, not mine!)
5-6 cloves minced garlic
1/2 c. diced onion
1/2 c. diced carrot
1/2 c. diced celery (I omitted)
1/2 c. diced mushrooms (I omitted)
3 tbsp. tomato paste
Half a bottle of red wine
3 c. chicken broth (or beef if you prefer)
1 tbsp. each basil, oregano, tarragon
1/2 tsp. each rosemary and thyme (I omitted because I didn't see this line until I was retyping this recipe just now)
a bay leaf (I never have one, so I skipped it)

Season all sides of the roast with salt and pepper. Go a little heavy on the salt - you're going to need it. As Andrew said - "That's a big piece of meat!"

Heat a little bit of olive oil over high heat in a large soup pot or Dutch oven. Sear the meat on both sides until brown. Remove from the pan and set aside.

Add veggies and garlic and saute until onion is translucent. You may need to add a bit more olive oil - I did.

Add the tomato paste and stir.

Now, pour in the wine, chicken broth, and spices.

The original recipe calls for 2-3 cups broth - I used 2 cups to start, then ended up adding another cup to cover the beef.

Of the spices listed in the recipe, I used basil, oregano, and tarragon. I missed the line about rosemary and thyme - oops!

Add a bit more salt and plenty of pepper. Bring to a boil and taste. It should be just slightly under-salted. Yummy!

Submerge the roast in the liquid. If it is not covered, add more wine and broth until it does and reseason to taste. Cover and simmer for at least 45 minutes. The longer it simmers, the more tender the beef will be. As Samantha says, "It's done when you get tired of waiting or when it falls apart when you try to lift it."

I braised the beef for right around the recommended 45 minutes. It wasn't falling apart, but it was beautifully tender and rare. The edges were cooked all the way through, but the middle was a gorgeous bright pink.

I sliced the beef and served over buttery egg noodles. Once the noodles were cooked, I added a little bit of butter and garlic powder, Italian seasonings, salt, pepper, and parsley.

To serve, make a bed of noodles:

Then, top the noodles with the sliced beef:

Ladle the veggies and broth over the beef and noodles:

This is a hearty, comforting meal that is easy yet impressive. It's a perfect Sunday night dinner, reminiscent of Grandma's pot roast, but more flavorful and even more delicious.