Tuscan Slow Cooked Braised Beef in Wine Sauce is a delicious one pot comfort food recipe with beef so tender you could cut it with a spoon in a rich gravy. (Stove top, Oven and Slow Cooker options)
One bite of Tuscan Slow Cooked Braised Beef in Wine Sauce in you will be in love. Melt in your mouth tender beef slathered in a killer good beef tomato wine sauce that is slow cooked. We served it over a delicious creamy polenta. However, you could also serve with egg noodles or mashed potatoes for the full comfort food experience.
Jump to:
Easy One Pot Meal
When the weather outside becomes treacherous to drive in and the frigid temperatures make it miserable to go outside, it is nice to stay inside and stay snuggled by the fire.
Tuscan slow Cooked Braised Beef in Wine Sauce is a great weekend meal to prepare while you are tending to all of your other holiday affairs such as gift wrapping, tree decorating, carving pumpkins, writing holiday cards or even baking holiday cookies. This recipe takes no effort at all to prepare and is a wonderful one pot dish. You may also want to try our Crazy Easy Italian Slow Cooker Pot Roast or our Pressure Cooker Oxtail Stew.
Stove Top, Oven or Slow Cooker Options
STOVE TOP: If you are going to be home for the afternoon, there is nothing more special than tending to your Tuscan Slow Cooked Braised Beef. A little stir every now and then to give it a little love. As the saucy broth cooks down, you may need to add a little extra beef broth or water to your pot to keep it from sticking.
OVEN: Another option is to cook your Tuscan Slow Cooked Braised Beef in Wine Sauce in the oven. You can sear the beef on the stove top. After you add all of the components of the recipe, then finish the cooking process in a Dutch oven with the lid. Set the oven for 350 degrees F (176 C) for 3-4 hours or until the beef is so tender you can cut it with a spoon.
SLOW COOKER: You can also cook your Tuscan Slow Cooked Braised Beef in Wine Sauce in your slow cooker (crock pot). In the slow cooker, you can cook on low for 8- 10 hours or on high for 4-6 hours.
However, due to the thickening required, you cannot cook this recipe in the pressure cooker (instant pot) as you will get the burn warning. This is due to the addition of the flour that makes the delicious roux.
The Untraditional Roux
Instead of the usual butter we use oil and fat from the beef to make the roux. Use equal amounts of fat to flour. We cooked ours for about 6-7 minutes to make a medium light roux. The roux is the secret to that thick and rich wine gravy.
If you need to make your recipe gluten-free, we skip the roux making process and just thicken up your gravy with a cornstarch slurry at the end of the cooking process. To make a cornstarch slurry, add 2 tablespoons of cornstarch or corn flour to a cup along with 2 tablespoons of broth or water and stir until all lumps are gone. During the last 30 minutes of cooking, add to your pan to thicken your gravy.
Best Cuts of Beef for Braised Beef
Choose the right type of beef! Unlike our parmesan herb beef cutlet, in which you want a thin tender cut of beef. Braised beef works best with tough cuts of beef with plenty of collagen and fat work best for slow cooked braising and for stews. Chuck roast are less expensive, and we used this for our recipe. We have also used Short ribs, but they can be expensive.
Searing
Tips for success include drying your beef cubes well and season freely with salt and pepper. Tossing the beef cubes in flour before searing, seals in the juices and starts to make that delicious roux for a thick and rich wine gravy. The drawback of dusting your meat cubes in flour prevents you from using the pressure cooker (instant pot). You will get the burn warning as it is too thick and causes sticking in the pressure cooker.
The goal is to get a nice brown sear on all sides of the meat. Do not over crowd your pan. To ensure that you are not overcrowding the pan, you may need to sear your beef a little portion at a time.
Braising
Your red wine should be something that you would like to drink with your meal. After all, you should let your red wine open up. One glass for the cook, some for the recipe and the rest at dinner. Lately we have been crushing over Pinot Noir and Merlot. However, Cabernets or any red wine blends are delicious options too. Don’t use cheap cooking wine.
Deglazing your pan with the wine to get all the delicious bits off the bottom of the pan as that is where all the flavor is. This is a Very important step!
American Stew vs Braised Tuscan Beef
There are four aromatics; celery, carrots and garlic with onions too. However, they are cut up in small chopped dices. They are there for flavor and are not in large chunks like in a stew.
We use our homemade tomato sauce or Hunts tomato sauce as it does not have any added sugar and is gluten free too. You may also use tomato paste or homemade tomato sauce.
However, the one ingredient that makes this recipe extra special is our homemade Nourishing Slow Simmered Beef Bone Broth . You can also use canned or beef bouillon if that is what you have on hand.
Family Meal Tradition
Our dear "Little Fannie" used to make this dish and bring it to our Italian family reunion every year. "Little Fannie" is about 4 foot 10 inches and about 80 pounds soak and wet. She is the sweetest and kindest little Italian grandma, rich with family history and love. At one of the last family reunions, she shared with us her recipe for her recipe for Tuscan Slow Cooked Braised Beef in wine sauce and today we want to share this with you.
If you are looking for more cozy comfort meals you may like to try our...
Ground Turkey Sweet Potato Curry
Slow Cooker Beef Rendang Curry
Did You Like Our Recipe? Leave a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating and/or a review in the comments section below. Your feedback is always appreciated! Follow us for more delicious recipes on Pinterest, Instagram, Twitter and Facebook! Don't forget to sign up for our email list for more free recipes.
More Beef Recipes
Tuscan Slow Cooked Braised Beef in Wine Sauce
Ingredients
- 3 pounds Chuck roast- cut into 1.5-inch cubes (dry them well with a paper towel)
- 3 tablespoon all-purpose flour (reserve 2 tablespoons of flour for the roux)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 1 yellow onion
medium peeled and chopped - 1 carrot
medium peeled and chopped - 1 stalk celery
medium, chopped - 2 cloves garlic cloves
peeled and sliced - 3 tablespoon Italian parsley
chopped - 1 cup dry red wine
- 2 whole bay leaves
dried - 1 cup beef bone broth plus extra as needed (or beef broth or beef bouillon)
- 1 cup tomato sauce
- polenta, garlic smashed potatoes or noodles to serve, optional
Instructions
- Open the bottle of red wine and pour the chef a glass. (after all the wine should be allowed to breathe, right?)
- In a baggie, place the beef cubes, 1 tablespoons of flour (reserve the other 2 tablespoons of flour for the roux) and salt and pepper. Seal the baggie and hake to coat. Shake off excess flour and set aside.
- Heat the olive oil in a large sauté pan over a high flame. When the oil is hot, add the cubed beef and cook until evenly browned on all sides, turning as needed. You may need to do this in batches so that meat has room to brown.
- Remove the beef to a plate.
- Add the onion, carrot, celery, garlic, and parsley (save some of the parsley for a garnish) and season along the way with additional salt and of pepper. Cook 8-10 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender. (Italian cooking is about depth of flavor and seasoning along the way)
- Check to make sure you have about 2 tablespoons of oil at the bottom of the pan. If not, add a little. Stir in 2 tablespoons of flour and cook for about 6-7 minutes for a medium roux.
- Add the wine and scrape up any bits that cling to the bottom of the pan; cook until the alcohol evaporates, and the wine reduces for about 5 minutes.
- Then, add the beef broth, tomato sauce and bay leaf and bring to a gentle simmer.
- Return the beef back to the pan and cover with a tight-fitting lid and let this dish gently simmer. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Stove Top Method:
- Braise dish for about 3 hours or until extremely tender and can cut beef with a spoon. You can add a more broth as needed to keep the beef moist, stir occasionally. If the sauce is too thin when the beef s done, remove the beef to a platter, cover with aluminum foil to keep warm, and reduce the sauce, uncovered, over high heat. Taste and adjust seasoning.
Dutch Oven Method:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F or 176 degrees C. Perform step 1- 8 on the stove top in a Dutch oven or a cooking vessel that can be used on the stove top and then transferred into the oven. Place the lid on top and transfer to the oven. Cook your Tuscan Slow Cooked Braised Beef in Wine Sauce for 3-4 hours or until so tender that you can slice your beef with a spoon.
Slow Cooker Method:
- Perform steps 1-8 on the stove top. Transfer your Tuscan Slow Cooked Braised Beef in Wine Sauce to the slow cooker. Cook on low heat for 10-12 hours or on high for 4-6 hours or until tender
- Serve Tuscan Slow Cooked Braised Beef in wine sauce hot garnished with some fresh parsley on a bed of polenta, garlic mashed potatoes or noodles. Andiamo a mangiare!
Helene says
We have made this several times for guest and it always a big hit . We make it with Chianti wine instead of dry red.
HWC Magazine says
Thank you Helene! We are delighted to hear that you are enjoying our Tuscan slow cooked braised beef. Chianti wine sounds like a delicious addition. We will have to try that when we make it next.
Hélène says
Absolutely delicious we have made this several times and each time we served to guest they absolutely loved it.
HWC Magazine says
Thank you dear. This Italian braised beef is a very cozy meal. So happy to hear that this recipe is a frequent flyer in your kitchen. Stay well and take care
Chef Mimi says
Gosh this looks good. I’m not sure why it popped out at me - I’m not usually a meaty stew-type gal. But served over that polenta?! Stunning!
HWC Magazine says
Awww.. thanks Mimi. We are all craving a little comfort food this week.
Cindy says
So delicious and can be used for so many dishes And sandwiches.
HWC Magazine says
Thank you Cindy. If you have leftovers, its so good to make hot beef sandwiches. Now you have us craving that! Take Care
Eha Carr says
Well, the sun is shining from a clear sky here tho' the day temp will be a cool 19 C ( 🙂 !) . . . our dams are full compared to last year and the weekend should be fully short-sleeve weather . . .so, do not know whether I have a right to soul- or comfort-food !!! Unless certain news from across the Pond will make this mandatory ! Love the look of your dish and love making similar ones . . . . it is great to have one's office across from one's kitchen . . . the cooking is and will definitely be stove-top and I do appreciate the roux making lesson. Use similar red wines naturally opening the bottle at the beginning of the cook . . . hmm ! . . . just as naturally the early wineglass somehow wanders over into the office during the process . . . polenta or fettuccine love to be on the plate . . .
HWC Magazine says
Thank you Eha! Great news... this week it has been gorgeous and warm outside... maybe a little late Indian summer before the bitter winter begins. Stove top method with a little glass of wine in one hand and a wooden spoon in the other is our kind of office. Stay well and take care
Kate says
I've made this recipe twice now (slow cooker method) and I love it. It's definitely a very hands on dish but it's absolutely delicious and can feed a ton of people. Currently making it for a large-ish dinner and I love that I can throw it in the slow cooker and forget about it until dinner, so I have time to cook my other dishes.
HWC Magazine says
Thanks so much Kate! We are delighted to hear that you are enjoying our Tuscan Slow Cooked Braised Beef in Wine Sauce in the slow cooker. The slow cooker is an essential item in our kitchen too. Love multi-tasking. Stay well and take care
Katerina says
What a perfect comfort recipe for cold days and nights! With the arrival of winter, we're all craving more and more stews, braises, soups and casseroles and this sounds so delicious and looks super cozy. Thanks so much for the inspiration!
HWC Magazine says
Thanks so much Katerina! This is one delicious go to comfort food recipe for those cold, damp and wet days. Little Italian goodness in each bite. Stay well and take care
Healthy World Cuisine says
Barbara, I think one day we both will be those petite little grandmas puttering away in the kitchen. I do not have far to shrink as already I am only 5' 1" on a good tall day. Take Care
Just A Smidgen says
There's always a little 4' Italian Grandma in the family.. mine is my mother-in-law (actually from Malta, but still 4' nothing)... This would be perfect here, we had 10cm of snow last night and I know my husband would have loved this dish!
Kristen says
That dish would definitely be perfect for a cold winter's night! It sounds absolutely delicious and comforting!!
Healthy World Cuisine says
Hello Kristin, thanks for stopping by. Real cold spot has come over Hong Kong its a chilly 65 degrees for us. Everyone is wearing fur!!! LOL
thecompletecookbook says
Now that's what I call a decadent and delicious dish - served with mashed potato, I could probably enjoy this oh, let's see, 7 nights a week. Fab recipe.
🙂 Mandy
Healthy World Cuisine says
Thanks Mandy. Definitely with some mash potatoes on the side some some yummy hearty Italian crusty bread to soak up the juices.
Joanne says
When I see that photo of your dish I swear I can smell it! I love the smell of slow braised wine beef dishes. Looks delicious!
Healthy World Cuisine says
Thanks Joanne. You know this type of dish does make you hungry all day long as it perfumes the home with savory delights.
[email protected] says
This sounds just fantastic! It is similar to my traditional stew but the addition of wine really kicks it up a notch!
Can't wait to try.
Healthy World Cuisine says
Thanks so much for your nice comment. I am so glad you stopped by my website so I could find yours. You have such beautiful pictures they are just breath taking. Looking forward to keeping up with whats happening in nutmeg disrupted.com. Take Care