Tender Slow-Cooked Beef Dish (Printable)

Hearty slow-cooked beef with potatoes, carrots, onions, and savory gravy for family dinners.

# What You’ll Need:

→ Beef

01 - 1 (3–4 lb) chuck roast
02 - 2 teaspoons kosher salt
03 - 1 teaspoon black pepper
04 - 2 tablespoons olive oil

→ Vegetables

05 - 1.5 lbs Yukon Gold or Russet potatoes, peeled and cut into large chunks
06 - 4 large carrots, peeled and cut into 2-inch pieces
07 - 2 large yellow onions, quartered
08 - 4 cloves garlic, smashed

→ Liquids

09 - 2 cups beef broth
10 - 1 cup dry red wine (optional; substitute with additional beef broth if preferred)
11 - 2 tablespoons tomato paste
12 - 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

→ Herbs & Spices

13 - 2 teaspoons dried thyme or 4 fresh thyme sprigs
14 - 2 bay leaves

→ Gravy Thickener

15 - 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour or cornstarch (for gluten-free)
16 - 2 tablespoons cold water

# How-To Steps:

01 - Preheat the oven to 300°F.
02 - Pat the chuck roast dry and season all sides with kosher salt and black pepper.
03 - Heat olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat and sear the roast for 4–5 minutes per side until well browned. Remove and set aside.
04 - Add quartered onions and smashed garlic to the pot and sauté for 2–3 minutes until fragrant and slightly softened.
05 - Stir in tomato paste and cook for 1 minute. Deglaze the pot with red wine, scraping up browned bits from the bottom.
06 - Return the roast to the pot and add beef broth, Worcestershire sauce, thyme, and bay leaves.
07 - Arrange potatoes and carrots around the beef in the pot.
08 - Cover the pot and transfer to the oven. Braise for 3 to 3½ hours, or until the beef is fork-tender and vegetables are cooked through.
09 - Remove the roast and vegetables to a serving platter. Skim excess fat from the cooking liquid.
10 - Whisk flour (or cornstarch) with cold water until smooth. Stir into the pot and simmer over medium heat, whisking constantly, until the gravy thickens, about 3–5 minutes.
11 - Slice the beef and serve with the cooked vegetables and thickened gravy.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • The beef becomes so incredibly tender that it practically melts on your fork after hours in the oven.
  • You get a restaurant-quality gravy without any complicated techniques, just the natural richness of everything cooked together.
  • It's truly a one-pot meal—vegetables cook right alongside the meat, soaking up all that savory flavor.
02 -
  • Don't skip the searing step—it's not just for color; it's where the deep, complex flavor comes from.
  • The oven temperature matters; at 300°F the beef braises gently and stays moist, while higher heat can make it tough and stringy.
  • Make sure your flour and water mixture is completely smooth before stirring it in, or you'll end up with lumps in your gravy.
03 -
  • Brown the roast the night before and refrigerate it—the cold helps the crust set even more firmly, and you can skip a step when you're ready to braise.
  • If your gravy ends up too thin, whisk together a bit more flour and cold water and add it in, but if it's too thick, just stir in a splash of warm broth to loosen it.
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