Balsamic beef with potatoes, sauce, and vegetables, a classic Sunday roast slowly-cooked in a Dutch oven.
Dutch Oven Roast Beef
A classic Sunday lunch, the way our grandmothers used to cook: roast beef with potatoes, sauce, and vegetables. This is a modern take on the classic: balsamic beef cooked in a Dutch oven, tender, hearty and completely satisfying.
I am not much into cooking large pieces of meat, I don't know why, I actually love a good roast, but mostly I wait for Christmas or Easter to eat something like this, most of the times at my mother-in-law's house.
However, I decided to make my own roast beef recently. The main reason for this is that we bought some really amazing Angus beef from somebody in the village who is breeding them. There were many cuts included, like stewing meat, bones, and meat for beef broth, ground meat for beef meatballs and so on. Some roasting beef pieces as well, so I thought it was high time to make balsamic roast again.
And I am glad I did, it was really amazing. I suppose the quality of this meat is really unbeatable, cows eating fresh grass every day, living outside most of the time.
I always think that when it comes to meat, one should buy the best one can afford, that is why I prefer to eat meat rather rarely, but when eating it, it should be something good.
Tips for making Dutch oven roast beef
- This recipe is very very simple, the only thing you should be aware of from the beginning is that it takes quite a while for the meal to be ready, so you should start well in advance.
- Otherwise, you don't need much, just a few ingredients, not much work but amazing results: tender meat and a sauce that is out of this world.
- The Dutch oven (Amazon affiliate link) you use should not be too large, just large enough for the roast to fit inside, there should not be too much space around it. This way the beef will be nicely submerged in the cooking liquid.
- Use very good quality beef broth, something you really like. I prefer to use homemade beef broth because I could never find a beef broth that I really like. Chicken stock is a good alternative.
- The sauce can be left as it is or you can thicken it slightly with some cornstarch.
Side dishes
- Cook some potatoes and your favorite vegetables and you will need nothing more.
- Well, maybe a glass of wine would not be a bad idea.
Other side dishes:
Sauteed Savoy Cabbage with Bacon
Balsamic Beef Recipe
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 lbs piece of roasting beef
- 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
- 1 onion
- ½ cup (scant) balsamic vinegar
- 1 ¾ cup beef stock preferably low sodium
- 1 cup (scant) heavy cream
- some cornstarch optional for binding the sauce
- fine sea salt and pepper
- potatoes and vegetables to serve
Instructions
- Melt the butter in a not-too-large pot. Flour the piece of meat and tap it gently to remove the excess flour. Quarter the onion.
- Brown: Fry the piece of meat on all sides until nicely browned. Add the onion pieces after half of the frying time and fry them together with the meat, taking care that they don't get too dark; keep turning them around. When the meat is brown, add the vinegar and let it bubble away wholly.
- Slow cook in oven: Sprinkle the meat with salt and pepper, add stock and cream. Put on the lid, turn the heat down to very low and simmer the meat for 3 hours.During the last hour of the cooking time, start preparing the side dishes.
- Sauce: Take the meat out of the sauce and bind the sauce with 1 or 2 tablespoons cornstarch mixed with enough cold water to form a slowly runny paste. This step is optional; add cornstarch if you would like to have a thicker sauce.
- Rest for about 10 minutes before slicing. Serve immediately.
Notes
Nutrition
Thao @ In Good Flavor says
It is pretty sad to think that the majority of us either have never had antibiotic free and naturally/organically fed beef or have only had it as a special treat. This is such a comforting, delicious, and healthful meal.
Adina says
That is so true. I am so happy that we have this possibility of buying organic beef at a good price, I could barely afford buying it in a store selling organic stuff, you will not believe the prices there. And I wouldn't even have the trust that what I am buying is really organic meat if I was to buy it somewhere else.
Barbara says
I am subcribed to Yummly website after going through all the recipes I discovered your Beef Roast Recipe I try it out but instead of cream I ad coccunut cream its healthy and delicious secondly butter do not make the beef toughand dry .Wonderfull thank you for sharing a great recipe
Adina says
I am so glad you liked it, Barbara. Coconut cream sounds great, I have to try it as well, I love anything made with coconut.
Jenny says
Looks fantastic!
Adina says
Thank you, Jenny. 🙂