Caramelized Balsamic Shredded Beef

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Drumroll… not only has it been MANY months since my last post (usually I’m a no-excuses kind of gal, but my first year of teaching middle school English in an urban school + trying to do Crossfit competitively is kicking my butt. While I’m still cooking, it’s mostly out of necessity, and isn’t too creative), but I have a big announcement: I’m eating red meat. Yep, that’s right. That’s red meat in the photo above.

In case you haven’t noticed, I’ve never posted a recipe with red meat on this blog. Ever. That’s because as of a month ago, I hadn’t eaten it in over ten years. However, I had this very odd urge for shredded beef, after seeing my dad eat it at dinner one night, and immediately was inspired to try something out. Since then, I’ve been hooked. While I don’t think I’ll be eating a steak anytime soon, I’m currently loving this recipe and have made it four weeks in a row.

Caramelized Balsamic Shredded Beef
Serves 4-5

  • 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
  • 1 cup beef stock
  • 1 teaspoon sea salt
  • 1 teaspoon italian seasoning
  • 2 teaspoon dried rosemary
  • 1-2 tablespoons coconut sugar (or brown sugar or honey)
  • 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 tablespoon soy sauce
  • 1 3-4 pound grass-fed boneless chuck roast or bottom round roast**

 

Cuts of Beef: Chuck vs. Bottom Round

Having never eaten or cooked beef before, I was bit lost on what cut to use. What would be the most tender? What about nutrition? I had to do a fair amount of research, and a few trials. I recommend using either the chuck or bottom round cut.

Here’s the deal: The chuck roast is a fattier cut, and thus will result in a more succulent piece. The bottom round, on the other hand, is less fatty. It still is quite tasty, and will work well in this recipe too. I recommend cooking it for about an hour longer to make it more tender.

 

Combine all ingredients except the roast in a cup. Place roast in a slow cooker, and then pour the liquid over the roast. Cook on low heat for 8 hours.

Transfer the roast and liquid from the slow cooker into a dutch oven. Cook in the oven at 275 for 2-3 hours, until the beef is tender and shredding easily. This step isn’t 100% necessary (I’ve skipped it once when I was in a hurry), but will result in a beef that is much more succulent and tender.

Once the roast is cool enough, remove it and begin to shred. Remove the excess fat from the liquid, and then pour the remaining liquid over the shredded beef, or reserve for when serving the shredded beef. I reserve the liquid when I’m having this for dinner every night- just reheat the beef in the microwave, and then pour a bit of the liquid over it to make it moist.

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