Braised Beef Chuck with Gnocchi

Braised beef with gnocchi in tomato sauce, topped with parmesan and parsley.

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Braised Beef Chuck with Gnocchi

Love short ribs but not the fat or the price? This braised beef chuck with gnocchi gives you the same fall-apart, slow-cooked flavor for way less money.

Prep Time15

Cook Time3 30

Total Time3 45

Course: Entree

Cuisine: American

Servings:

Author: Julie Maestre

Equipment

Dutch Oven

Ingredients

2 lbs beef chuck boneless
1 onion finely diced
1 large carrot finely diced
2 celery stalks finely diced
2 garlic cloves finely minced
1 sprig rosemary
1 sprig thyme
1 tablespoon tomato paste
2 cups beef stock
2 cups passata or crushed tomatoes
¼ cup red wine optional
1 lb ricotta gnocchi fresh or frozen
oil
salt and pepper to taste
fresh basil
parmesan cheese

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.
Pat the beef chuck dry with paper towels. Season generously on all sides with salt and pepper. Heat a large Dutch oven or heavy pot over medium-high heat. Add a drizzle of oil.Sear the beef on all sides until deeply browned, about 5-7 minutes per side. Remove and set aside.
Lower heat to medium. In the same pot, add a little more oil if needed.Add onion, carrot, and celery. Cook for 5–7 minutes until softened.Stir in the garlic and cook for 30 seconds until fragrant.
Add tomato paste and cook for 1 minute, stirring.Pour in the red wine (if using) and let it simmer for 1–2 minutes to reduce slightly.
Pour in the beef stock and passata (or crushed tomatoes). Stir well.Add rosemary and thyme. Return the beef to the pot, nestling it into the sauce.
Cover and pop it in the oven for 3 hours or until the beef easily shreds.
Once the beef is done cooking, remove it from the pot and shred it using two forks and discard any excess fat. Remove any excess oil from the sauce with a big spoon and then place the shredded beef back into the sauce. Let it simmer uncover while the gnocchi cooks.
Cook the ricotta gnocchi according to package instructions, once they float, they’re ready. Drain, but save some of the water.
Add the gnocchi directly to the beef sauce, along with 1/4 cup of the water and mix well. Season with salt and pepper. Add some fresh basil and parmesan cheese, if desired, and enjoy!

Notes

Sear the beef and don’t rush this step. Deep browning = deeper flavor in the sauce. I like to sear the beef in a very hot dutch oven with oil for about 6-7 minutes over medium-high heat.
Save the water you cook the gnocchi in! A splash helps loosen the sauce and helps it cling to the gnocchi.
Let the beef rest before shredding, resting keeps the juices inside the meat.
Skim off any excess fat!
After braising, spoon off extra fat from the surface for a cleaner sauce.
And as always, season generously with salt and pepper and serve with fresh basil, fresh parmesan cheese, for best results :)

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