Dinner

Slow-cooked beef with root vegetables

A deeply restorative weekend dinner that makes beautiful, iron-rich leftovers for the week ahead. Let the oven do all the work.

Dinner · 2 Hours · Serves 6

Slow-cooked beef with root vegetables

Ingredients

  • 1.2kg beef chuck or brisket
  • 3 large carrots, roughly chopped
  • 2 large parsnips, roughly chopped
  • 1 medium turnip or swede, cubed
  • 2 large brown onions, quartered
  • 6 garlic cloves (whole)
  • 500ml (2 cups) beef stock
  • 400g tinned diced tomatoes
  • 2 tbsp tomato paste
  • 6 sprigs fresh thyme
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • Salt & pepper to taste
  • Fresh parsley to serve

Method

  1. Preheat oven to 160°C. Pat beef dry and season generously all over with salt and pepper.
  2. Heat olive oil in a large oven-safe pot or Dutch oven over high heat. Sear beef for 3–4 minutes on each side until deeply browned. Remove and set aside.
  3. Reduce heat to medium. Add onion and garlic to the pot and cook for 3 minutes. Add tomato paste and stir for 1 minute.
  4. Pour in stock and tinned tomatoes. Add thyme, bay leaves, and all root vegetables. Nestle the beef back in — it should be mostly submerged.
  5. Cover and transfer to the oven. Cook for 1 hour 45 minutes to 2 hours until the beef falls apart easily when pressed with a fork.
  6. Shred the beef into the sauce using two forks. Rest for 10 minutes before serving. Scatter with fresh parsley.

doTERRA oil tip: A drop of Thyme oil added to the pot at step 3 deepens the herby, earthy flavour beautifully. Rosemary oil works equally well here.

Marcia's tip: Make this on Sunday. Leftovers in wraps, over rice, or tossed through pasta makes three more meals sorted for the week.