Beer-Braised Beef and Onions

I made this for family, and they RAVED about it. It was also easy to make, a big plus. After reading the reviews, I decided to add garlic, and I made the entire thing in my InstaPot to avoid the possibility of dryness. It definitely was NOT dry using this method, and the broth was wonderful. I set it for 50 minutes then let the whole thing sit for a few hours to let the flavors marry. I'll definitely make this again.

• juliet_g

• Clearwater, FL

• 10/25/2020

I thought this was very good. I used 2.5lbs of beef and almost the full recipe for the onions and everything else. The beef was moist and flavorful. I added a few crushed garlic cloves based on other reviews. Found it had good flavor, the onions were sweet and mild, and there was plenty of sauce (especially good to have for the leftovers). Will add this to my "make again" box.

• dlaviano

• Brooklyn, NY

• 9/15/2020

This recipe has possibilities, but I had some problems. I made the recipe exactly as written except my piece of meat was a little under 2 lbs so I halved all the other ingredients. I baked it in my cast iron Dutch oven which has a very tightly fitting lid. Whatever you do, don't put it in the oven and leave it without checking the progress regularly. After less than 2 hours all the liquid had evaporated and the lovely browned onions were burnt and unusable. The meat was tender but dry. I ended up shredding it and using it in tacos. If I do make it again I will use the full amount of all the other ingredients even if I have a smaller piece of meat. I will also check the liquid level every half hour and add broth as needed to keep it moist.

• Anonymous

• Colts Neck, NJ

• 1/26/2017

Just made this for the first of many times. Delicious, pure comfort food. I used a 3 lb tied roast that I rubbed with Montreal Steak seasoning and left overnight. I used the full 3 lbs of onions and a pound of carrots in small dice. For the sauce, I used one Stella Artois, a can of stewed tomatoes and a cup of beef broth. I definitely think, as did other reviewers, that a good sear here is important to the overall flavor. I cooked the roast at 300 for 3 hours then served it on top of mashed potatoes. Best pot roast recipe I've ever made.

• JimPasq

• Portsmouth, NH

• 3/28/2016

I made this recipe as written except I used a 3 lbs sirloin tip roast (cooked for 2.5 hrs) and I didn't have Pilsner on hand so I used two different ales...holy cow was it good!!! Instead of slicing, I shredded it all and put it back in the sauce, and heaped it all on mashed potatoes! Added yogurt, herbs and mushrooms to the leftovers and served over egg noodles, more yum!!

• star7676

• Hamilton, ON

• 3/10/2016

Very solid roast & so easy! I added some fresh thyme & garlic, used 2.5 lbs of beef, put it in the owen & literary forgot about it for 3 hrs. Came out very nice! Served with potato / celery root mash & kale salad with lemon vinegrette. The definition of comfort food for me!

• Anonymous

• NYC

• 2/23/2016

Very nice! I prepared this for dinner on a cool and rainy spring evening and it was a hit. Served it with huge rigatoni and horseradish/sour cream sauce and lots of freshly ground black pepper.

• Laurasioux

• MD

• 4/15/2015

I used about a 2 lb boneless blade roast, which I believe is the same as a chuck. I followed the recipe, adjusting the proportions and cooking time somewhat cause of the smaller size. I only replaced balsamic for the red wine vinegar. After the onions cooked for about half an hour and I added the beer and roast, I also added a leek, a couple of huge potatoes cut in 8ths and a few carrots cut large. I wanted it to be an easy one pot meal. And it sure was. This turned out very very flavorful. Wonderful winter dinner, guests said! It's easy to make and the results are so much more than the effort put in. It's like having a roast French onion soup ...

• s21melly

• Toronto

• 2/2/2015

Made this on a cold snowy Saturday and it is perfect. Simple and hearty spooned over mashed potatoes Don't change a thing.

• pmomcooks

• Cleveland, OH

• 1/26/2014

Lacked depth of flavor. Something seems to be missing in the flavor profile. Maybe that is why so many people suggest adding this and that...

• fotographi

• CO

• 10/26/2013

Best recipe ever for beef and pork. Used both in the same pot and did recipe exactly, except for addition of some fresh parsley, rosemary, and thyme, as well as some garlic as suggested by others. The flavor is awesome. Fork-shredded meat right in the sauce. Using it on sandwiches and on pasta.Enjoy!

• Anonymous

• Columbus, OH

• 6/7/2013

This dish is easy and economical. I used a 3lb chuck roast, adjusted ingredient quantities proportionately, and reduced cooking time to roughly 2:45. I did find the cooking liquid to be ever so slightly bitter, but I wanted a little more "beer" flavor so I used a pale ale instead of a lager. This was the likely culprit, and it was delicious anyway so no real harm done. One additional edit: I added a few cloves of smashed garlic. With beer and onions it just seemed right.

• lschmidt

• Portland, OR

• 1/21/2013

I can't fathom why so many people raved about this recipe. I made 17 pounds of chuck for Christmas dinner and made it two days ahead as recommended. Because I was making so much, I browned the onions in two large roasting pans at 400F for about 25 minutes, stirring frequently. For the beer, I used four bottles of Dos Equis Amber, a pilsner-style lager. The result tasted like beef in French Onion soup, and it was sweet from the sugars developed in the onions during browning. It took a lot of doctoring with beef bullion, some demi-glace concentrate, granulated garlic and, finally, two tablespoons of oyster sauce to deepen the flavor and counteract the sweetness. I also thickened the "soup" with cornstarch. This recipe doesn't hold a candle to my usual braised chuck. After seasoning the meat with salt, pepper and granulated garlic, I transfer it to a roasting pan, and add onion slices. I reduce some red wine in the pan I used to brown the meat, pour it over the beef, cover with foil, and bake at 325F for 2.5 to 3 hours. I remove the meat, skim the fat off the juices, add a little beef bullion, thicken with cornstarch, and strain. Far easier and very tasty.

• woojoo

• 12/26/2012

I followed all the steps (tieing and browning the beef, browning the onions, etc) but because I made this with a 2-lb organic chuck roast (the largest I could find), I reduced the ingredient amounts and cooking times accordingly (eg, a pound of onions took just over 15 mins to brown, and I baked the roast for about 2.5 hours). After it was tender, I transferred the roast to a pyrex pan just large enough to hold it, covered it with the onions, poured the cooking juices all around, and let it marinate in the fridge for three days covered tightly with plastic wrap. After slicing it thinly, I reheated it with the sauce and onions in the microwave just til heated through. M-m-m. "A keeper", my husband said.

• Anonymous

• 11/11/2012

这个结果很好。肉很十der, even though it was not a great cut of meat. I really wish I would have used Guinness and some beef stock instead of the beer we choose out of our fridge (a bitter ale). The stock left a bit to be desired. Not the recipe's fault though -- it called for a lager.

• Anonymous

• Sackville, N.B.

• 11/8/2011