Braised Beef

Ingredients

• 6 to 7 pounds boneless beef chuck roast, trimmed and cut into 2-inch chunks
• ¾ teaspoon ground cloves
• Kosher salt and ground black pepper
• 4 ounces pancetta, roughly chopped
• 6 medium cloves garlic, smashed and peeled
• 1 medium yellow onion, halved and thinly sliced
• 1 medium fennel bulb, trimmed, halved, cored, and thinly sliced
• One 28-ounce can whole peeled tomatoes, crushed
• 2 teaspoons fresh thyme, minced

Steps

1. Heat the oven to 325°F with a rack in the lower-middle position.

2. Place the beef in a large bowl and season with the cloves, 1 tablespoon salt, and 2 teaspoons pepper.

3. In a large Dutch oven over low heat, cook the pancetta, stirring occasionally, until sizzling and the fat has begun to render, about 5 minutes. Increase the heat to medium-low and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until the pieces begin to brown, another 7 minutes. Add the garlic, onion and fennel, then increase to medium. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are softened and translucent, about 6 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes and bring to a simmer. Stir in the beef, then cover, transfer to the oven and cook for 2 hours.

4. Remove pot from the oven. Stir, then return to the oven uncovered. Cook until a skewer inserted into a piece of beef meets no resistance, 1 to 1 ½ hours more.

5. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the meat to a medium bowl. With a wide spoon, skim off and discard the fat from the surface of the cooking liquid, then bring to a boil over medium-high, scraping up any browned bits. Cook until the liquid has thickened to the consistency of heavy cream, 10 to 12 minutes. Stir in the thyme, then return the beef to the pot. Reduce to medium and cook, stirring occasionally, until the meat is heated through, about 5 minutes. Taste and season with salt and pepper.