The BEST braised beef recipe! This tender and flavorful beef slow cooked in red wine with carrots and parsnips will is sure to become a family favorite. Easy to make in the oven or your slow cooker and slimming friendly too!

You will also love my Classic Beef Bourguignon

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What is braising?

Braising is a cooking method, usually reserved for meat, especially inexpensive cuts that require a long cooking time. 

The meat is first seared over high heat then cooked in a covered pot with vegetables and wine or stock. 

As the meat is gently simmers it becomes meltingly tender while the liquid cooks down to create the most amazing concentrated sauce.

Should the braising liquid cover the beef?

The liquid levels are only supposed to come about halfway up your ingredients when you are braising. You are not boiling your meat or making a stew.

If you add too much liquid to a braising recipe you will end up with a bland tasting dish. Trust your ingredients and cook “ low and slow” – that’s cooking at relatively low heat for a long time.

Difference between a stew and a braise

It’s all in the liquid levels as I mentioned already. Another difference is that the meat and vegetables are cut fairly smallish when making a stew. You can go bold and chunky when you are braising!

Ingredients

You will need a Dutch Oven (covered lidded pot) or a slow cooker to make this recipe. 

• Braising steak (I swear by the Whole Foods braising steak which I get on Amazon Fresh)
• Onions and garlic
• Salt, pepper, onion granules, brown sugar
• Bay leaves
• Tomato Paste
• Worcestershire or Soy sauce (or Tamari), fish sauce (yes really) plus red wine vinegar
• Red wine – I have used a relatively small amount of wine here you can use half stock and half wine if preferred. If you are making a slimming world version, replace the red wine with an Oxo red wine stock cube
• Beef stock – from a Knorr stockpot or stock cube
• Carrots and parsnips – or other root vegetables suitable for slow cooking

Which beef cut to use

Braising steak is sort of an umbrella term which includes stewing steak, chuck roast, brisket, skirt, leg and flank. 

Other cuts suitable for braising include short ribs and beef cheeks. Ideally you want a larger cut that you can cut yourself instead of pre-diced beef which is more suitable for stews.

SECRETS TO BEST BRAISED MEAT

These apply to braising most types of meat so once you master these easy steps to braising you can apply them to other recipes as well

✔ Select the right cut of beef – suitable for slow cooking with a little marbling of fat

✔ Brown the meat over HIGH heat, in batches (if you crowd the beef it will stew rather than sear). Wait until the beef is sealed before turning – if it sticks to the pot it’s not ready to flip yet

✔ Season as you go but in moderation… the flavour will be very concentrated after the long cooking time so don’t oversalt

✔ Deglaze the pot using wine or stock scraping any browned bits (in French this is called the fond) into the sauce

✔ Add vegetables – these will flavour the sauce but you can eat them too of course. Root vegetables such as carrots, parsnips, turnips suit the long cooking time

✔ Choose your braising liquid – if you are using wine choose a good wine that you enjoy drinking not a cheap one may will be too acidic

✔ Add flavour – I added Worcestershire sauce, a tiny splash of fish sauce and red wine vinegar

✔ Bring to the liquid a simmer before transferring to the oven 

BRAISED BEEF STEP BY STEP

Take a look at this step by step tutorial – plas note you will find the full recipe, including ingredients in the recipe card at the end of this post.

STEP 1. Cut your braising steak into fairly big chunks. Pat dry and then season generously with coarse salt and freshly ground pepper.

STEP 2. Heat your pot and mist your pot with cooking spray (or add a tablespoon of olive oil). Sear the beef, in batches, over high heat until nicely browned. The beef should sizzle when it hits the pot. Don’t turn it until it releases easily from the pot. Set aside.

STEP 3. Add a splash of red wine (or stock) to deglaze the pot. It will sizzle and steam when it hits the hot pot. Use a wooden spoon to scrape any browned bits at the bottom of the pot.

STEP 4. Lower the heat and add more cooking spray (or a little oil). Add the sliced onions, salt, garlic granules and brown sugar. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 5-10 minutes until the onions are soft and slightly caramelised. You can cover the pot to aid this but keep stirring.

STEP 5. Add the minced garlic and bay leaves, stirring for a couple of minutes.  Stir in the Worcestershire sauce, fish sauce, red wine vinegar and tomato paste.

STEP 6. Pour in the beef stock and red wine and bring to a simmer.

STEP 7. Nestle the beef over the onions (the liquid level should come about halfway up).

STEP 8. Add the carrots and parsnips, cover the pot and cook in a 160C (320F) oven for 2 – 2 ½ hours or until the meat is perfectly tender. 

STEP 9. Check the seasoning and add pepper and salt (if needed). Garnish with chopped parsley and serve over mashed potatoes.

Instant Pot instructions

Yes but I would recommend you brown the beef and caramelise the onions in a pot first. This is simply because the Instant Pot is relatively small and it might get too hot while you are searing the beef.

Transfer everything to the pressure cooker and cook on high pressure for 40 minutes, allowing for natural release.

Braising on the stove

The oven is a better bet because it allows for gentle even heat and doesn’t require any baby sitting (ie stirring).

You can cook this recipe on the stove over very low heat but you will need to check it periodically to make sure it doesn’t stick and potentially top it up with more stock.

Is this recipe Slimming Friendly?

This braising beef recipe is suitable for weight loss plans like Slimming World or Weight Watchers, with very minor alterations. 

Make sure you trim all the fat off the beef before cooking, swap the brown sugar for Sukrin Gold then simply replace the wine with more beef stock – done! 

JOIN MY SLIMMING RECIPES GROUP I have created a dedicated Facebook group for slimming recipe ideas, tips and support. Would love to see you there!

Serving Suggestions

Mashed potatoes would be my first choice! But you can serve this over rice or noodles if you like.

If you are on a weight loss plan you should add with some extra veggies like steamed broccoli, wilted spinach or swede mash.

More tasty beef recipes

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