It might be officially sprung on the calendar, but it’s still cold and gray for a lot of us, and what better way to ward off the chilly rain than a big plate full of hearty comfort food?
Braising a chuck roast with maple syrup and balsamic vinegar gives the roast plenty of time to get fall-apart tender while all that flavor sinks deep into the meat.
As a bonus, the braising liquid reduces to a thick, concentrated sauce to pour over the meat on your plate and add extra flavor to the vegetables as well.
The roasted vegetables here don’t necessarily have to go with the meat – you could make just the roast or just the vegetables, but they make a delicious pairing, and it’s always nice to have your whole dinner in one recipe.
Adding a little bit of sweetener is optional, but it does give them a delicious caramelized flavor: if you haven’t tried this, it’s a simple way to make roast vegetables even more delicious.
On the other hand, though, if you’re not big on sweeteners, don’t sweat it: the vegetables are delicious without them and still a great side for the meat and the sauce.
Maple Balsamic Braised Chuck Roast Recipe
SERVES: 4 PREP: 25 min COOK: 2h 30 min
Ingredients
- 2 to 3 lb. chuck roast
- 1 cup beef stock
- ⅓ cup maple syrup (optional)
- ⅓ cup balsamic vinegar
- ⅓ cup coconut aminos
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 onion, minced
- Cooking fat
- Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Ingredients for the caramelized vegetables
- 4 carrots, sliced
- 2 sweet potatoes, peeled and diced
- 3 parsnips, peeled and sliced
- 1 red onion, quartered
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 3 tbsp. olive oil
- 2 tbsp. maple syrup or raw honey (optional)
- Fresh thyme sprig
- Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Preparation
- Preheat your oven to 350 F.
- In a bowl, combine the beef stock, maple syrup, balsamic vinegar, coconut aminos, garlic, and minced onion.
- Season the meat with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.
- Melt some cooking fat in a Dutch oven placed over medium-high heat.
- Brown the meat on all sides for 2 to 3 minutes per side, and pour the sauce on top.
- Place in the oven and cook for 2 hours and 30 minutes.
- In a bowl, combine all the ingredients for the vegetables and season to taste.
- Spread the vegetables out over a baking sheet, top with a sprig of fresh thyme, and cook in the oven for 30 to 40 minutes.
- Serve the meat with caramelized vegetables.
📖 Recipe
Maple Balsamic Braised Chuck Roast Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 to 3 lb. chuck roast
- 1 cup beef stock
- ⅓ cup maple syrup optional
- ⅓ cup balsamic vinegar
- ⅓ cup coconut aminos
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- 1 onion minced
- Cooking fat
- Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Ingredients for the caramelized vegetables
- 4 carrots sliced
- 2 sweet potatoes peeled and diced
- 3 parsnips peeled and sliced
- 1 red onion quartered
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 3 tbsp. olive oil
- 2 tbsp. maple syrup or raw honey optional
- Fresh thyme sprig
- Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350 F.
- In a bowl, combine the beef stock, maple syrup, balsamic vinegar, coconut aminos, garlic, and minced onion.1 cup beef stock, ⅓ cup maple syrup, ⅓ cup balsamic vinegar, ⅓ cup coconut aminos, 3 garlic cloves, 1 onion
- Season the meat with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, 2 to 3 lb. chuck roast
- Melt some cooking fat in a Dutch oven placed over medium-high heat.Cooking fat
- Brown the meat on all sides for 2 to 3 minutes per side, and pour the sauce on top.
- Place in the oven and cook for 2 hours and 30 minutes.
- In a bowl, combine all the ingredients for the vegetables and season to taste.4 carrots, 2 sweet potatoes, 3 parsnips, 1 red onion, 2 garlic cloves, 3 tbsp. olive oil, 2 tbsp. maple syrup or raw honey, Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Spread the vegetables out over a baking sheet, top with a sprig of fresh thyme, and cook in the oven for 30 to 40 minutes.Fresh thyme sprig
- Serve the meat with caramelized vegetables.
Michelle says
This is very nice,. Is there a substitution i can make for the maple syrup on the meat? I have to get my fat butt on to some low carb to address chronic inflammation and osteo arthritic issues.