A Different Kind of Comfort Food
Chuck roast doesn’t always have to mean traditional pot roast. This ginger-soy braised beef takes that same slow-cooked comfort in a different direction, with garlic, fresh ginger, hoisin, and soy sauce. Brown sugar adds a little sweetness, rice vinegar brings balance, and hot sauce gives it a gentle kick.
The beef becomes tender enough to pull apart with a fork, with a rich sauce that’s perfect for spooning over rice or noodles.
Why Chuck Roast Works So Well
Chuck has the connective tissue and marbling that make it ideal for a long, gentle braise. Given enough time, it turns beautifully tender and adds body to the sauce.
Cutting the roast into large chunks gives you more surface area for browning while keeping the pieces substantial enough for slow cooking. Searing them first builds the browned flavor that carries through the finished dish.
Let the Oven Do the Work
This is a dish to give time rather than rush. Plan on three to four hours in a low oven, checking toward the end for beef that pulls apart easily.
I left the lid off for the last hour because there was still plenty of liquid in the pot. That allowed the sauce to cook down around the beef. Every pot and oven behaves a little differently, so use the liquid level as your guide. If the sauce is already concentrated, keep the lid on while the beef finishes cooking.
Cornstarch is optional. You may find the sauce has enough body from the braise and needs no thickening at all.
Making It in the Slow Cooker
This beef also works in a slow cooker, with less stock because much less liquid escapes during cooking. Sear the beef and cook the aromatics before transferring everything to the slow cooker for the fullest flavor.
The recipe includes slow cooker directions, along with an optional cornstarch finish if the sauce needs thickening.
Ginger-Soy Braised Beef
Ingredients
- 2 pounds beef chuck roast cut into 2–3-inch chunks
- ½ teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
- 1 tablespoon avocado oil plus more if needed
- 1 small onion sliced
- 4 garlic cloves minced
- 2 tablespoons grated fresh ginger
- 3 cups beef stock
- ¼ cup soy sauce or tamari
- 2 tablespoons hoisin sauce
- 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
- 3 tablespoons packed brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons hot sauce or to taste
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch optional
- 1 tablespoon cold water optional
- Sliced green onions for serving
- Cooked rice for serving
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 300°F.Pat the beef dry and season with the salt and pepper. Heat the avocado oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Sear the beef until well browned on several sides, working in batches as needed. Transfer the beef to a plate.Reduce the heat to medium. Add the onion and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until softened. Add the garlic and ginger and cook for 1 minute.Pour in a little of the measured beef stock and scrape up the browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Stir in the remaining stock, soy sauce, hoisin, rice vinegar, brown sugar, and hot sauce.Return the beef and any collected juices to the Dutch oven. Bring to a gentle simmer, cover, and transfer to the oven.Braise for 3–4 hours, until a fork slides easily into the beef and the pieces pull apart with little resistance. Check the liquid after 2 hours. If plenty remains, leave the lid off for approximately the final hour so the sauce cooks down around the beef. Check occasionally during uncovered cooking and replace the lid if the sauce reaches your preferred consistency before the beef is tender.If the finished sauce needs thickening, mix the optional cornstarch with the cold water until smooth. Place the Dutch oven over medium-low heat and gently stir the slurry into the sauce around the beef, adding only as much as needed. Simmer for 1–2 minutes, without vigorously stirring the tender beef.Serve over cooked rice with sliced green onions.NotesThe uncovered cooking time may reduce the sauce enough that no cornstarch is needed.For the slow cooker, reduce the beef stock to 1½ cups. Sear the beef and transfer it to the slow cooker. Cook the onion, garlic, and ginger in the same pan, then deglaze with some of the measured stock. Add this mixture to the slow cooker along with the remaining stock and sauce ingredients. Cover and cook on low for 7–9 hours or high for 4–5 hours, until the beef pulls apart easily.If the slow cooker sauce needs thickening, gently stir in the optional cornstarch slurry around the beef. Cover and cook on high for another 15–20 minutes, until thickened.