Slow-Cooked Grass-Fed Beef (Chuck Roast, Brisket, or Stew Meat) with Chimichurri, Roasted Broccoli and Cauliflower, and Roasted Rainbow Carrots
Grass-fed beef slow-braised until fall-apart tender, served with a bright, garlicky chimichurri, caramelized roasted broccoli and cauliflower, and honey-roasted rainbow carrots.
Yield: Serves 6 · Active: 40 min · Total: 2–3½ hours, depending on the cut (plus 2–24 hours dry-brining) · Year-round (broccoli, cauliflower, and carrots are at their sweetest in North America from fall through spring) · Best eaten: early evening
The Menu
Slow-Cooked Grass-Fed Beef
Bright Herb Chimichurri
Roasted Broccoli and Cauliflower
Honey-Roasted Rainbow Carrots
Recipe 1: Slow-Cooked Grass-Fed Beef
Ingredients
3 lb grass-fed beef chuck roast, brisket, or stew meat (chuck cut into 2-inch cubes)
3 tbsp grass-fed beef tallow or extra virgin olive oil, divided
2 large yellow onions, sliced
8 garlic cloves, smashed
2 tbsp tomato paste
3 cups grass-fed beef bone broth
2 tbsp raw apple cider vinegar
2 tbsp coconut aminos
4 sprigs fresh thyme, 3 sprigs fresh rosemary, and 3 bay leaves
2 tsp Baja Gold sea salt, divided
1 tsp freshly cracked black pepper
Optional: 2 medium carrots, diced (for extra sweetness in the braise)
Method
Dry-brine. Pat the beef dry and rub it with 1 tsp salt and the pepper. Refrigerate uncovered 2–24 hours. It makes a big difference to the finished dish.
Sear. Take the beef out of the fridge 30 minutes before cooking. Heat 2 tbsp tallow in a large Dutch oven over high heat until smoking. Sear the beef until deeply browned on all sides, 4–5 minutes per side for a roast, or in batches for stew meat (crowded pieces steam instead of browning). Move it to a plate.
Cook the onions. Add the remaining tallow, then the onions with a pinch of salt, and cook 10–12 minutes, until soft and golden. Add the garlic for 60–90 seconds.
Build the braise. Stir in the tomato paste and cook 1 minute, until it darkens. Add the broth, vinegar, coconut aminos, thyme, rosemary, bay leaves, remaining salt, and carrots (if using), scraping up the browned bits from the bottom of the pot.
Braise. Return the beef to the pot and bring it to a simmer. Cover and move it to a 325°F oven. Braise until fall-apart tender, when a fork slides in easily: 2½–3 hours for chuck roast, 3–3½ hours for brisket, or 1½–2 hours for stew meat.
Finish. Discard the bay leaves and herb stems. If the sauce is thin, simmer it uncovered 10–15 minutes to reduce.
Shred or slice. Shred a chuck roast with two forks, pot-roast style, or slice a brisket against the grain. Stew meat is ready to serve as is.
Serve. Spoon the beef and its pan sauce onto warm plates, and top generously with chimichurri.
For a dedicated brisket method, see my Beef Brisket Master Recipe.
Recipe 2: Bright Herb Chimichurri
Makes about 1½ cups
Ingredients
1 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley, packed and finely chopped
¼ cup fresh oregano leaves, finely chopped
Optional: 2 tbsp fresh cilantro, finely chopped
6 garlic cloves, finely minced
1 small shallot, finely minced
½ cup extra virgin olive oil
3 tbsp raw red wine vinegar or raw apple cider vinegar
1 tsp red pepper flakes
1 tsp Baja Gold sea salt
½ tsp freshly cracked black pepper
Optional: 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice, and 1 tsp raw honey to balance the acidity
Method
Combine. Stir together the parsley, oregano, cilantro (if using), garlic, and shallot.
Add the liquids. Whisk in the olive oil, vinegar, red pepper flakes, salt, pepper, and lemon juice and honey (if using).
Rest at room temperature 20–30 minutes, so the flavors meld. It gets even better as it sits.
Taste and adjust: more vinegar for sharpness, more olive oil for richness, or more chili for heat.
Recipe 3: Roasted Broccoli and Cauliflower
Ingredients
1 medium head broccoli, cut into large florets with 2 inches of stem
1 medium head cauliflower, cut into large florets
4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
5 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
2 tbsp fresh thyme leaves
1 tsp Baja Gold sea salt
½ tsp freshly cracked black pepper
Optional: a pinch of red pepper flakes
Zest and juice of ½ lemon
2 tbsp fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped
Optional: 2 tbsp grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
Flaky sea salt
Method
Toss. Heat the oven to 425°F and line a large sheet pan with parchment. Toss the broccoli and cauliflower with the olive oil, garlic, thyme, salt, pepper, and chili flakes (if using).
Roast. Spread them in a single layer (crowded vegetables steam instead of caramelizing), and roast 25–30 minutes, tossing once halfway, until deeply caramelized at the edges and tender.
Finish with lemon juice and zest, parsley, flaky salt, and Parmigiano (if using).
For more roasting tips, see my Roasted Brassicas: A Foundation Guide.
Recipe 4: Honey-Roasted Rainbow Carrots
Ingredients
1½ lb rainbow carrots (purple, orange, yellow, and white), scrubbed and halved lengthwise (or left whole if small)
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 tbsp raw honey
2 tbsp fresh thyme leaves
Optional: 1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp Baja Gold sea salt
½ tsp freshly cracked black pepper
1 tbsp fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped
Flaky sea salt
Method
Toss the carrots with the olive oil, honey, thyme, cumin (if using), salt, and pepper.
Roast in a single layer at 425°F for 25–30 minutes, tossing once, until deeply caramelized and tender. (They can roast alongside the broccoli and cauliflower.)
Finish with parsley and flaky salt.
To Serve
Arrange the beef in the center of a warm platter with its pan sauce, and spoon chimichurri generously over the top. Arrange the roasted broccoli and cauliflower and rainbow carrots alongside, and serve extra chimichurri at the table.
Storage
Beef in its sauce: refrigerated up to 4 days (it's even better the next day), or frozen up to 3 months.
Chimichurri: refrigerated up to 1 week in a sealed jar.
Roasted broccoli and cauliflower: refrigerated up to 4 days. Reheat at 400°F for 5–6 minutes to recrisp.
Roasted carrots: refrigerated up to 5 days. They're lovely cold in salads.
Leftover transformations:
Pile the beef into lettuce wraps or grain-free tacos with chimichurri, avocado, and lime.
Fold it into scrambled eggs with fresh herbs.
Blend leftover roasted vegetables with bone broth, for a quick soup.
Use leftover chimichurri as a marinade for any grilled meat or fish.
Nourishment Notes
Grass-fed beef — complete protein, heme iron, B12, zinc, and CLA, plus glycine from the slow braise.
Bone broth — gelatin, glycine, proline, and minerals.
Parsley, oregano, and cilantro — vitamin K (parsley is one of the richest food sources), apigenin, and carvacrol.
Garlic — allicin and organosulfur compounds.
Broccoli and cauliflower — glucosinolates (the precursors to sulforaphane and DIM), vitamin K, folate, choline, and fiber.
Rainbow carrots — beta-carotene in the orange carrots, anthocyanins in the purple, and lutein in the yellow.
Raw apple cider vinegar — acetic acid, which brightens the braise and supports blood-sugar balance.
Coconut aminos — soy-free umami.
Raw honey — caramelization and trace minerals.
Grass-fed tallow — CLA, vitamin K2, and a stable fat for searing.
Extra virgin olive oil — oleic acid, hydroxytyrosol, and polyphenols.
Lemon — vitamin C, d-limonene, and hesperidin.
For your cycle: The beef's heme iron, B12, and zinc help replenish what's lost during your period, and the gelatin from the slow braise supports your gut lining and restful sleep. The broccoli and cauliflower support estrogen metabolism, which makes this grounding meal especially supportive in the menstrual and luteal phases, while the bright chimichurri brings freshness to the follicular and ovulatory phases.
Sourcing
Beef chuck roast, brisket, or stew meat — 100% grass-fed and grass-finished, from Alderspring Ranch, White Oak Pastures, or US Wellness Meats
Beef bone broth — homemade from grass-fed beef bones, or Bonafide Provisions (organic, sold frozen)
Broccoli, cauliflower, rainbow carrots, onions, garlic, shallots, herbs, and lemons — organic, from a farmers' market
Raw red wine vinegar and raw apple cider vinegar — organic, with the mother
Coconut aminos — organic and soy-free, like Coconut Secret
Tomato paste — organic, in glass, with no added sugar (Bionaturae and Jovial both make it)
Raw honey — organic, local, and unfiltered
Parmigiano-Reggiano (optional) — DOP, aged 24+ months, made from raw milk by law
Grass-fed beef tallow — rendered from grass-fed suet, or from US Wellness Meats
Extra virgin olive oil — organic, single-estate, harvest-dated, in dark glass
Spices (cumin, red pepper flakes, black peppercorns) — organic and non-irradiated
Salt — Baja Gold sea salt; Maldon for finishing
— Anna aka Food Marshall