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Impress everyone around yourholiday tablewith this budget-friendlyChristmas beef roast recipe. It’s got big beefy flavor and a luxurious sauce to match!
The Perfect WinterHoliday Meal
Theholiday seasonwouldn’t be complete without a tender beef roast as the centerpiece of ourChristmas Evemeal. And, it’s totally possible to have a tender,juicy roastwithout breaking the bank.
Holiday dinnergo-to’s likeprime rib roastor beef tenderloin are delicious and decadent, but easily cost two to seven times more than my pick…the hard-working and economical chuck roast.
Thisbeef cutis close to the shoulder (so it gets a lot of use), making it a tougher cut, but also contains a good amount of fat. Together, this produces really flavorful meat.
To get a fork tender roast, we’re braising it for several hours over moderate heat. The braising liquid is scented with herbs, clove, aromatics, tomato paste and porcini mushrooms – all working together to compliment that big beefy flavor! It’s the perfectmain dishforspecial occasions.
Ingredients for aHoliday Beef Roast
In addition tokosher saltand fresh crackedblack pepper, you’ll need…
- Bouquet garni– fresh rosemary, fresh thyme, bay leaf, whole cloves.
- Boneless chuck roast– a relatively inexpensive cut of beef, it’s commonly used inpot roastand stew. Because it has a fair amount of connective tissue, it’s a perfect cut for low and slow braising.
- Cooking fats–olive oiland unsalted butter.
- Aromatics– shallots andfresh garlic.
- Umami flavors– tomato paste and dried porcini mushrooms.
- Braising liquids– low sodium beef broth,red wineand Madeira (or Port).
- Corn starch– to help thicken the sauce.
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Equipment and Supplies
I recommend a large, oven safe, heavy-bottomed vessel – I use a lidded 6-quartdutch ovenfor each cooking step of this recipe.
You’ll also need a square of cheesecloth and kitchen twine to make a bouquet garni, a small bundle or sachet of herbs and spices.
Steps to Braise a Beef Roast
- Make the bouquet garni– bundle the rosemary, thyme, bay leaf and cloves in a square of cheesecloth and tie it securely with kitchen twine.
- Brown the roast– season the roast with salt and pepper then brown it on all sides in a large pot overmedium-high heat. Transfer the meat to a bowl.
- Make the braising liquid– in the same pot, sauté shallots and garlic in butter until lightgolden brown. Add the tomato paste and cook for 1 minute. Stir in thered wineand scrape the bottom of the pot to loosen up any stuck bits. Add the broth, mushrooms and bouquet garni.
- Braise the roast– return the chuck roast to the pot. Bring the liquids to a boil. Cover and place it in a 350°Fpreheated ovento roast for 3 to 4 hours until it is fork tender.
- Finish the sauce– carefully remove the meat to a platter and tent withaluminum foil. Discard the bouquet garni. Boil the liquids for about 15 minutes. Whisk together the corn starch and Madeira in asmall bowl, then whisk that into the pot. Cook for another 2 to 3 minutes. Taste and season as needed.
Helpful Recipe Tips
- Trim the roast– trim away any tough or large pockets of fat on the exterior of the roast. Leave any connective fat and tissue between sections of meat in place; those will render and break down as it braises.
- Skim the fat– you may see a layer of fatty liquid on top of the braising liquid. How much is there will depend on how fatty your roast is. Use a large metal spoon to skim that layer off the top.
- Level of braising liquid– it’s totally okay if the braising liquid does not cover the roast. That’s the nature of braising. If you’d like, you can turn the roast over halfway through cooking so every part of the roast has time in the braising liquid.
- Test for doneness– I’ve given a cooking range of 3 to 4 hours. This will depend on the individual piece andsize of roast. Check the roast at 3 hours. Literally take a fork and try pulling away some of the meat. If it separates easily, it’s done. If not, continue cooking for up to one more hour. (I don’t even bother measuring theinternal temperature.)
How to Display YourMain Course
- Arrange the whole roast in a high-sided serving dish and pour the finished sauce all around. Cut individual portions directly from the serving dish. (As pictured below.)
- Cut the roast into manageable pieces, then arrange them on a serving platter. Pour some sauce over the meat and transfer the rest to a gravy boat or bowl to serve on the side.
- Shred the beef and combine with some of the sauce in a serving bowl. Serve additional sauce on the side, if needed.
No matter how you choose to serve your Christmas chuck roast, don’t forget to garnish it with some fresh herbs for a bright pop of festive color.
Make-Ahead, Storing & Reheating Options
- Make ahead– you can braise the chuck roast up to 3 days in advance. Allow it to cool down some in the liquid before refrigerating. (The flavor will just get better!)
- Storing– once cooled, shred or portion the roast into smaller pieces. Transfer the meat and braising liquid to an airtight container and refrigerate up to 3 days. Use a container that allows most of the meat to be submerged in the liquid. Storing the roast and braising liquid together will help keep the meat moist and flavorful.
- Reheating– move the roast to your counter and allow to rest atroom temperaturefor up to an hour. Transfer the meat and braising liquid to a large pot or skillet with a lid. Cover and simmer it over low to medium-low until heated through. Use low heat and allow it to reheat slowly to maintain tender beef.
The BestSide Dishes for Christmas Beef Roast
Don’t forget to eat your veggies! Green veggies like Brussels sprouts, green beans and broccoli all make fine accompaniments, but what this roast really screams for is hearty, wintry sides!
- Mashed potatoes
- Creamy polenta
- Parsnip puree
- Twice-baked potatoes
- Roasted carrots and other root vegetables
- Bread Stuffing
- Crusty bread, dinner rolls or evenYorkshire pudding!
What to Sip
You’ll need to open a bottle of red for the braising liquid, but you can enjoy the rest! You can find really tasty, budget-friendly bottles of Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec, and Grenache…all would work well with this recipe.
More Beef Recipes!
- Slow CookerSmoky BBQ Beef Tacos
- Leftover Corned Beef Hash Waffles and Eggs
- Cast Iron Skillet Meatballs
- Flank Steak + Chimichurri Flat Breads
- Steak + Stout Pie
- Steak Sliders with Gorgonzola
Braised Christmas Beef Roast Recipe
4.50 from 4 votes
Impress everyone around yourholiday tablewith this budget-friendlyChristmas roast. It's got big beefy flavor and a luxurious sauce to match!
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time:5 minutes mins
Cook Time:4 hours hrs 30 minutes mins
Mise en Place:15 minutes mins
Total Time:4 hours hrs 50 minutes mins
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American, French
Keyword: holidays, make ahead, oven, stove top
Servings: 6
Calories: 624kcal
Ingredients
Bouquet Garni
- 9-in square cheesecloth
- kitchen twine
- 2 sprigs fresh rosemary
- 4 sprigs fresh thyme
- 1 bay leaf
- 3 whole cloves
For the Roast
- 3 to 3-1/4 lbs boneless chuck roast trimmed of external fat
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter
- 3 large shallots peeled, trimmed and quartered
- 5 cloves garlic peeled and smashed
- 1 tbsp tomato paste
- 2 cups dry red wine
- 32 oz low sodium beef broth
- 1/2 oz dried porcini mushrooms
- 1 tbsp corn starch
- 2 tbsp Madeira or Port
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
To make the bouquet garni, arrange rosemary, thyme, bay leaf and cloves in the center of the cheesecloth; break or fold the herbs to fit in the bundle. Gather up the edges of the cloth and tie it securely with kitchen twine.
Sprinkle the roast with salt and pepper. Heat oil in heavy large pot over medium-high heat. Add meat to pot and brown on all sides. Transfer meat to bowl.
Reduce heat to medium. Add butter to the pot to melt. Add shallots and garlic and sauté until golden. Add the tomato paste and cook for 1 minute. Stir in the red wine and scrape the bottom of the pot to loosen up any stuck bits. Add the broth, mushrooms and bouquet garni.
Return meat to pot, pressing down to nestle it into the liquid (it does not need to be completely submerge). Turn the heat up to medium-high and bring liquids to boil. Cover and place in the oven to roast for 3 to 4 hours until it is fork tender.Note 1 (You can turn the roast over halfway through so all of the meat spends time submerged in the braising liquid.)
Remove meat to a platter and tent with aluminum foil. Remove and discard the bouquet garni. Boil liquids in the pot about 15 minutes. Whisk the corn starch and Madeira together, then whisk it into the liquids. Cook for another 2 to 3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
Notes
- Test for doneness – I’ve given a cooking range of 3 to 4 hours. This will depend on the individual piece and size of roast. Check the roast at 3 hours. Literally take a fork and try pulling away some of the meat. If it separates easily, it’s done. If not, continue cooking for up to one more hour.
- Make ahead– you can braise the chuck roast up to 3 days in advance. Allow it to cool down some in the liquid before refrigerating. (The flavor will just get better!)
- Storing – once cooled, shred or portion the roast into smaller pieces. Transfer the meat and braising liquid to an airtight container and refrigerate up to 3 days. Use a container that allows most of the meat to be submerged in the liquid. Storing the roast and braising liquid together will help keep the meat moist and flavorful.
- Reheating– move the roast to your counter and allow to rest atroom temperaturefor up to an hour. Transfer the meat and braising liquid to a large pot or skillet with a lid. Cover and simmer it over low to medium-low until heated through. Use low heat and allow it to reheat slowly to maintain tender beef.
Nutrition
Calories: 624kcal | Carbohydrates: 9g | Protein: 51g | Fat: 37g | Saturated Fat: 15g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 19g | Trans Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 180mg | Sodium: 530mg | Potassium: 1238mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 190IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 54mg | Iron: 5mg
Nutritional values are estimated and provided as a general guideline only. I earn a commission from Instacart from qualifying ingredient purchases.
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