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Braised beef over polenta with rosemary, thyme, and juices in a black bowl on a black board.
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4.80 from 5 votes

Braised Beef Roast Recipe

This delicious braised beef roast served over a creamy polenta is a wonderful supper for any night of the week. It also makes an elegant dish for a dinner party.
Prep Time20 minutes
Cook Time2 hours 30 minutes
Total Time2 hours 50 minutes
Course: Recipes
Cuisine: Italian
Servings: 6 servings
Calories: 542kcal

Ingredients

  • 2 ½ pound Beef chuck roast
  • 1 onion chopped
  • 6 carrots washed, peeled, sliced.
  • 1 stalk celery chopped
  • 2 garlic cloves minced
  • 1 sprig rosemary leaves
  • 1 sprig thyme leaves
  • 1 T tomato puree
  • 1 C dry Polenta
  • 2 T butter
  • Vegetable stock

Instructions

For the Roast

  • At least a few hours before cooking (preferably overnight) salt the beef with about a teaspoon per pound and put it in a large baggie in the fridge.
  • Before searing the meat, sprinkle about a teaspoon of pepper all over the roast.
  • Add about two tablespoons of olive oil to your dutch oven. My 2 ¾ quart Le Creuset was the perfect size for this roast. You really don't want it to be much bigger than the meat you're cooking.
  • Add the roast to the pan and sear it all over. Once it is seared on all sides, remove it and set aside.
  • Add the onion, celery, carrots, and garlic and saute until softened. Add the herbs and tomato puree. Cook for a couple of minutes, stirring up all the pieces that are sticking. 
  • Add the beef roast back to the pan. Pour the entire bottle of wine over the roast. ( Optional: Drink a half glass of the wine. You deserve that by now. I did and can promise it won't affect the flavor. Enjoy!)
  • Bring to a boil and then set to simmer. 
  • Cover the pan and let it cook on low for 2 ½ hours, stirring occasionally. If the wine doesn't cover the roast, you may want to turn it over every now and then so no part dries out. I ladled the broth over it every so often as it was almost covered.

For the Gravy

  • Remove the roast after the 2 ½ hours and set aside. Remove the bay leaf.
  • Using a hand blender, blend all the vegetables until the sauce is thick and glossy. Be careful as this mixture will be hot, so use the lower setting on the hand blender.
  • Let the sauce continue to simmer. I like a thicker sauce, so I added about two teaspoons of cornstarch to thicken it. 

For the Polenta

  • Prepare the polenta with vegetable stock. The polenta only takes about 15 minutes to cook. Add butter as soon as it's soft and mix well.
  • Serve the braised beef roast over the polenta.

Nutrition

Serving: 1 | Calories: 542kcal | Carbohydrates: 10g | Protein: 48g | Fat: 35g | Saturated Fat: 16g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 17g | Trans Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 172mg | Sodium: 442mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 3g