This tender chuck roast makes two meals. Most of the meat is sliced and served with onion gravy, accompanied by egg noodles, and the rest gets shredded and saved for a warm beef salad .
You might want to round out the first meal with a green salad or sautéed spinach.
Beef can be braised, sliced, and shredded, then returned separately to sauce 5 days ahead. Cool completely, uncovered, then chill, covered. Reheat sliced beef and onion sauce in pot, covered, or an ovenproof serving dish covered with foil in a 350°F oven about 30 minutes.
Recipe information
Total Time
4 3/4 hr
Yield
Makes 4 servings (with leftovers) or 6 servings (without leftovers)
Ingredients
Preparation
Step 1
Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 325°F.
Step 2
Pat beef dry and rub all over with 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Heat oil in an ovenproof 5-quart wide heavy pot over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking and brown beef on all sides, about 15 minutes total. Transfer beef to a plate.
Step 3
Add onions to pot and sauté over moderately high heat, stirring frequently, until pale golden, about 10 minutes. Add garlic, tomato paste, thyme, rosemary, and remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper and cook, stirring, 2 minutes. Add wine and water and bring to a boil. Return beef to pot, then cover tightly and braise in oven, turning once after 1 hour, until beef is very tender, 2 1/2 to 3 hours total.
Step 4
Let beef stand, uncovered, in onion sauce about 30 minutes.
Step 5
If reserving some meat for beef salad , cut off one third of roast, and, when cool enough to handle, shred and toss with 3/4 cup onion sauce. Cool completely, uncovered, then chill in an airtight container.
Step 6
While shredded beef cools, preheat oven to 350°F and transfer remaining beef to a cutting board and cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices. Season with salt and pepper and return beef to sauce. Reheat, covered, 20 minutes.
