Table of Contents
Description | Ingredients | Method | Nutritional Info | Notes And OptionsBraised Beef and Vegetables
Inspired by the flavours of Boeuf Bourguignon but tweaked slightly, this recipe is one of the more popular ones I make around our household when made in its regular form using red wine as the liquid, but even using only beef broth it is delicious!
For ease of portioning with the beef, I prefer to keep the it in sizeable, 4-ounce / 110 gram-ish chunks, so each piece of beef is the equivalent of one palm portion of protein.
Equipment Required
Large dutch oven or stock pot (about 6 quarts / 6 L in size)
Ingredients (Makes 12 Servings)
3 pounds beef inside round roast (or another lean beef roast, cut into 2" chunks and pre-salted with 3 tsp sea salt for at least 30 minutes, preferably an hour or two)
1 large or 1-1/2 medium onions (diced)
6 carrots (diced or left in larger chunks - up to you)
2 celery sticks (diced)
1 can tomato paste
1 pound of mushrooms (shiitake or crimini are great, cut in halves or quarters; if you don’t like mushrooms, you could substitute for 3 sweet bell peppers, diced)
750ml / 3 cups beef broth (OR substitute any portion of the liquid for a full-bodied, dry red wine like a Sangiovese, Malbec, or Syrah)
6 cloves garlic (minced)
2 bay leaves
4 sprigs fresh thyme (or 2 tsp dried thyme)
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Method
Preheat your oven to 375 degrees F / 190 degrees C.
Working in batches over medium-high heat, brown the beef chunks on all sides with 2 TBSP the olive oil and set aside.
Turn the heat down to medium, add another 1 TBSP of olive oil to the pot and sweat the vegetables (onion, carrots, celery and mushrooms or bell peppers) until the onions begin to turn translucent, about 5 minutes.
Add the garlic and cook for another minute or so, then deglaze the pan by adding a little of the beef broth or wine and scraping all the crusty bits off the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon.
Add the tomato paste to the pot and mix well with the veg, then add the beef chunks (and any juices) back to the pot, arranging them in a single layer if possible.
Add the broth or wine, increase the heat and bring to a low boil, then cover and transfer to the oven to braise for at least 90 minutes, until the beef is fork tender but not falling apart.
Enjoy!
Nutritional Info
For the Full Recipe (using beef broth for the liquid):
Calories: ~2,350 kcal
Protein: ~321g (1,284 kcal, ~55% of total calories)
Fat: ~98g (882 kcal, ~37% of total calories)
Total Carbohydrates: ~88g
Fiber: ~30g
Net Carbohydrates: ~58g (232 kcal, ~10% of total calories)
Vegetables: ~1,800g total (~150g per serving).
Per Serving (12 Portions):
Calories: ~196 kcal
Protein: ~26.7g (107 kcal, ~55% of total calories)
~1 palm portion (1 palm = 20–30g protein).
Fat: ~8.2g (73 kcal, ~37% of total calories)
~0.7 thumb portions (1 thumb = 10–15g fat).
Total Carbohydrates: ~7.3g
Fiber: ~2.5g (~10% of RDI for women under 50).
Net Carbohydrates: ~4.8g (19 kcal, ~10% of total calories).
Vegetables: ~150g (~1.5 fist-sized portions).
This nutritional analysis is an estimate only, based on available knowledge regarding the nutritional content of the individual ingredients. Nutritional content of foods is HIGHLY variable, so you should always base your dietary intake on whether it meets your needs and progresses you towards your goals rather than any theoretical numbers on paper.
Notes and Options
The nutrition numbers are basically the same whether you use the mushrooms or the bell peppers. Mushrooms are rich in B vitamins and selenium, adding earthy umami flavor and a hearty texture to dishes, while bell peppers are packed with Vitamin C, antioxidants like beta-carotene, and a natural sweetness that enhances brightness and color in recipes. Choosing between them depends on whether you prioritize depth and savoriness (mushrooms) or vibrant flavor and visual appeal (bell peppers).
During On-Protocol weeks, use beef broth only and do substitute bell peppers for some or all of the mushrooms to give the dish a slightly sweeter overall flavour (which will be missing without the wine).
Substituting wine for all of the beef broth adds ~72g alcohol (~504 calories) to the recipe total, but after 90 minutes of cooking, only about 15-20 percent of that would be remaining (the rest having evaporated off during cooking), leaving you with about 12-15 grams of alcohol / 84-105 calories total, or about 1-1.3 grams of alcohol / 7-9 calories per serving. With such a minimal net calorie impact, you could get away with using wine even during an On-Protocol week and comfortably remain in a caloric deficit, BUT it would be counter to the idea of avoiding all calorie-containing beverages during On-Protocol weeks…
For an added portion of vegetables or an accompaniment during an On-Protocol week, try some roasted cauliflower or rutabaga, or blanched or steamed broccoli or broccolini alongside this braise.
For regular / Maintenance week eating, this is great with a piece of homemade sourdough bread for mopping up the sauce, and also works really well with a reasonable portion of roasted, steamed or mashed potatoes, egg noodles, spaetzle or polenta as your starchy carb portion.