Oven Braised Italian Beef
I was shopping at Whole Foods with a friend and they had these lovely chuck roasts on sale. The chuck is a cheaper cut and is from the shoulder which makes also it a tougher cut BUT all of the streaky marbling makes it so tender and flavourful.
It was perfect timing because I had it in my mind that I wanted to make Italian Beef Sandwiches. Years ago, a girlfriend of mine gave me a crockpot recipe that involved HOURS and ingredients like a jar of giardiniera a packet of Italian dressing mix. They were ok…. but to be honest,
Im not crazy about crockpot cooking and I prefer my pickled veggies on the sandwich rather than cooked.
This recipe is very reminiscent of the brisket that I do for Jewish holidays (which is also YUM) same method BUT the rosemary, garlic, oregano etc. give this a distinctly Italian vibe.
That lovely roast that was calling to me in the grocery store turned out to be sublime. Fall apart, savoury and decadent. I would serve it with a simple side of potatoes, polenta or roasted veggies. OR you can use it for so many other recipes besides those incredible Italian Beef Sandwiches I was dreaming about. I’m talking braised beef tacos, Southern Italian Ragu, beef tacos ….I could go on forever. Keep scrolling down for those recipes btw.
Make it up to 2 days in advance.
This recipe freezes extremely well.
Oven Braised Italian Beef
Equipment
- Dutch Oven
Ingredients
- 2 Pound Chuck roast
- 2 tbsp Olive oil
- 1 Sprig Rosemary (optional)
- 1.5 Onions thinly sliced
- 4 Cloves Garlic
- 2 tsp Kosher salt
- 1 tbsp Oregano
- 1 tbsp Tomato paste
- 2 Cups Beef broth
- 1 Cup Red wine
- 2 Bay leaves (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Slather roast with 1 tbsp olive oil and season with 1 tsp salt and pepper.
- Place rosemary in the pot. Heat the Dutch oven on medium for about 4-5 minutes. Sear the roast 5 minutes per side.
- Remove roast from pot and set aside. Add 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil to the pot with the onions and garlic and sauté for 5 minutes.
- Add tomato paste,bay leaf, salt and oregano and continue to stir for another minute.
- Pour wine and broth into the pot and bring to a boil. Return roast to the pot. Cover and place in oven for 2 hours or until the beef falls apart easily.
Notes
Shred the beef. Add 1 cup of passata or crushed tomatoes And 1/2 cup beef broth to the pan sauce. Simmer for about 10 minutes and toss with your favourite homemade or boxed pasta.
Braised Beef Tacos
Any combo of your fave taco fixings will work here. Layer the beef on top of a warm soft tortilla and top with avocado, pickled peppers and radish. Top with Mexican cotija cheese.
Italian Braised Beef Sandwiches
Ingredients
- 1 Batch Oven Braised Italian Beef
- 2 baguettes sliced in half lengthwise, divided into 3-4 Or 6 -8 ciabatta buns
- 12-16 slices Provolone cheese
- 2 Tbsp Olive oil
- 1 Pint cherry tomatoes
- 2 Green peppers sliced
- 1 bunch Fresh basil
- hot pickled eggplant, hot peppers, jardiniera optional
Instructions
- Heat 1 tbsp oil in frying pan. Add cherry tomatoes Seasoned with salt and pepper and fry for about 5 minutes or until skins begin to brown and blister. Set aside
- Add remaining oil to the pan and fry the green peppers for about 5 minutes.
- Shred the beef with a fork. Warm it up (if necessary) and mix up the beef well with the pan juices.
- Cut each slice of cheese in half. Lay 2 pieces on the bottom half of each bun/baguette
- Place beef on top of the cheese. Followed by cherry tomatoes, peppers , desired condiments and topping with 2 pieces of cheese.
- Place sandwiches under the broiler (without the top bun) for 1-2 minutes until cheese melts. Serve immediately
Notes
2 Comments
V.B.
“Thank you” for the Braised Italian Beef recipe “you’re the best”!
v.b.
andrea
Thank YOU! Let me know if you make it