MONDAY RECIPE POST - EASY BRAISED BEEF WITH MUSHROOMS - serves 6

(My photo doesn't look pretty but the taste was excellent.  You can see Natalya's photos at the second link provided below.)

BEEF Easy Braised Beef with Mushrooms

Serves 6 

This week's recipe is from a food blog called MomsDish hosted by Natalya.  If you are interested in seeing all of Natalya’s tips, her blog link is here.  Or if you prefer to cut and paste:

https://momsdish.com/braised-beef-with-mushrooms

I have added quite a few of her tips below this recipe.  

Easy Braised Beef with Mushrooms Recipe

Servings: 6 servings

Total cooking time from start to finish, approximately 1 hour and 50 minutes.  

3 lbs beef chuck roast

4 tablespoons olive oil

2 large onions

1 pound mushrooms

1 tablespoon ground black pepper

1 tablespoon salt, or to taste 

1 tsp ground cumin (I used the equal amount of thyme)

3 bay leaves

2 cups beef broth (I added a cup of red wine to this)

Trim the beef of any excess fat and cut into 1-inch pieces.  Set aside.

Chop the onions into one-inch chunks and the mushrooms into halves.  Set aside.

Preheat a Dutch Oven (or another oven-safe dish) with 2 tablespoons of oil over medium-high heat. 

Add the beef and brown each piece on all sides. 

Remove the beef from the pot and set aside.

In the same pan, add 2 more tablespoons of oil and cook the onions and mushrooms in the beef drippings until they turn a light shade of brown.

Add the beef back into the pan, along with the salt, cumin (or in my case, thyme), and black pepper. 

Add in bay leaves and beef broth. 

Cover with a lid.

Bake in a preheated oven to 375°F. for about 90 minutes, or until beef is tender. 

Don’t forget to remove the bay leaves.

Serve immediately with your favorite side dish and enjoy!

This was delicious!  Thank you Natalya for a very comforting meal on a cold, chilly evening.  It is 21 degrees Fahrenheit right now.

Gregg cooked roasted carrots, along with onions and a surprise as we were also having the mashed potatoes, slivers of sliced potato.  

He put the veggies in a bowl and mixed with the following (no exact measurements as he adds a bit of this and a bit of that, though I asked for approximates) about 2 tablespoons of extra Virgin olive oil, soy sauce (4 shakes), rice wine vinegar (4 shakes), and a good forkful of chili crisp.  He put all the vegetables onto a sheet pan and cooked on 425 degrees F. for about 20 minutes.  I always enjoy his spontaneous put-togethers, and the ingredients he uses for the sauce are always very tasty.

I had already made the mashed potatoes to the menu, but his sliced potatoes were an experiment and there weren't that many.  I would definitely go for more next time, and not make the mashed potatoes.  The vegetables, along with those thinly sliced potatoes, were excellent.

The next day the potatoes had been eaten, and we added cooked rice.  It was a very nice substitute.

I added 1 cup of red wine to the beef broth.  I picked this up from cooking shows watched over the years.  Also doesn't hurt to enjoy a glass of wine at the meal.  In one of those cooking shows the chef said never use cooking wine as you should treat yourself to a glass with your meal.  

I am not a big fan of cumin and my go-to herb for this type of meals is thyme.  

I will add another half hour onto the cooking time.  Our oven seems to run cooler and takes longer for most recipes we put together.

Added note:  the soup is now all gone.  This is one of those meals that got better each time we ate it.  For tonight's supper, our third meal, there was still a little meat left and a few veggies, but there was more broth. I had a couple of hot dog rolls left, which I halved and sprinkled with grated Parmesan cheese.  Then I toasted them under the broiler in the oven until they were nice and brown.  They were a tasty addition.  This is such a great meal for a chilly day.  

The following are all Natalya's tips from her original recipe.  I added them here as a guide for when we make this again.  

What Kind of Beef is Best for Braising?

The best beef for braising: large cuts like chuck roast or brisket. The low and slow process helps to break down and tenderize even the most massive cuts. Alternatively, you could also use bone-in cuts like Oxtail or Beef Short Ribs.

Storing Leftover Braised Beef:

Braised beef is the perfect candidate for meal prep. Super versatile, it can be used in plenty of different ways throughout the week. 

Whether you have leftovers to eat the next day or two, or want to freeze those leftovers for a rainy day, here are a couple of different ways to store braised beef.

Refrigerator: 

If you think you’ll eat the braised beef within a week, feel free to store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator. The container will keep the meat from soaking up any lingering smells in your fridge, while also allowing it to continue developing its flavor.

Freezer: If you’d like to keep the braised beef on hand for up to 3 months, freeze it in a freezer-safe bag or airtight container. But first, let it cool down completely. You can store it in one big bag or portion it out into several smaller bags. To thaw, place a bag in the freezer overnight.

How to cook the braised beef in a Slow Cooker:

In a skillet, brown the beef and veggies as directed. 

Next, transfer them to the bottom of the slow cooker pot.

Add the remaining ingredients: 

Next, simply add in the remainder of the ingredients right on top of the beef and veggies. 

Give the ingredients a good stir.

Cook on high for 4 to 6 hours, or until the beef is fork tender.

(I will try the slow cooker next time.  I don't have a pressure cooker but added this in case any of you do.)

Pressure Cooker: 

Brown the beef and veggies on the sauté setting, and add in the rest of the ingredients right on top. 

Turn on the Soup Setting and let the pressure cooker do the rest.

That's all I can think of right now.  Thanks for stopping by and...