Can I Braise Chuck Roast Ahead of Time?

Yes! In fact, braised beef often tastes best when it's had a chance to rest in the fridge overnight. Store it, unsliced, in the braising liquid in an airtight container in the refrigerator, then when ready to serve, thinly slice the beef and reduce the sauce. Add the sliced beef to the hot sauce to warm.

Can I Make This in a Slow Cooker?

You can braise chuck roast in a slow cooker, but you should sear it first in a skillet or Dutch oven. Build the braising liquid in the pan then transfer everything to a slow cooker and cook on LOW for 8 hours or HIGH for 3-4 hours.

Why is My Chuck Roast Tough?

Chuck roast needs a fair amount of time to cook to break down the collagen and connective tissues. If your pot roast is still tough, consider gently cooking it in more braising liquid on a very low heat. Remember, low and slow works best for chuck roast.

Citrus Soy Braised Chuck Roast

Description

This Citrus-Soy Braised Chuck Roast recipe is deeply savory, with bright citrus and robust fresh ginger. It's a flexible recipe, perfect sliced thin with sauce, piled high onto sliders, or served on bowls throughout the week.

Ingredients

Units Scale

2 1/2 - 3 lbs. chuck roast, fat trimmed
1 tsp. Kosher salt
1/2 tsp. ground white pepper
1 Tbsp. avocado or vegetable oil
2 Tbsp. tomato paste
1 tsp. fennel seeds
1 medium orange
1 medium lime
3 Tbsp. reduced-sodium soy sauce
3 cups chicken or beef stock
thinly sliced scallions, for garnish

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Instructions

Position a rack in the bottom third of the oven and preheat to 300F. Pat the chuck roast dry and sprinkle evenly with kosher salt and white pepper.
Heat oil in a large heavy bottom pan or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the chuck roast and cook, undisturbed, until well browned on one side, 3-4 minutes. Flip and cook on the other side until well browned, another 3-4 minutes. Brown all sides then carefully transfer to a plate. Reduce the heat to low.
Pour out fat from pan to a heat-proof dish then add tomato paste and fennel seeds and cook until fragrant, 1 minute. Use a vegetable peeler and peel 2 long strips each of the orange and lime and add to the pan. Squeeze half the orange and half the lime into the pan and add the soy sauce and chicken stock and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Return the beef to the pan, cover, and transfer to the oven. Cook until a fork inserted into the center meets little resistance, about 2 hours.
Carefully remove the pan from the oven and transfer the beef to a clean cutting board. Cover loosely with aluminum foil. Simmer the braising liquid over medium heat until slightly reduced, about 15 minutes (avoid vigorous boiling). Remove from the heat and cool for 5 minutes. Strain the sauce through a fine mesh strainer and spoon off as much fat as possible. Return the sauce to the pan to keep warm.
Cut the orange and lime half into slices. Cut the beef into ½-inch thick slices against the grain. Serve with the warm braising liquid. Garnish with remaining lime and orange slices and scallions.

Notes

Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3-4 days. I recommend storing the sauce separately.
Braised beef tastes best after resting in the refrigerator overnight. Consider placing the chuck roast in the braising liquid overnight then slicing the beef the next day and reducing the sauce. Warm the beef in the hot sauce until warmed through.
You can leave out the fennel seeds and instead use 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon or 1/2 teaspoon Chinese five spice.

Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 2 hours
Category: Dinner
Method: Braising
Cuisine: American