This super easy braised beef, which uses just four ingredients, is certain to become a new favourite in your house. It’s so good for a warming dinner on a cold day, and is pretty much a genuine set-and-forget meal – pop it in the oven and forget about it for the afternoon while it slowly transforms into something deeply tender and flavourful.

This is a delicious meal you can prepare well in advance, perfect in place of your regular weekend roast dinner, and one that will fill your house with an amazing aroma as it braises.

Even better, it makes for the best leftover roast rolls the next day.

4-Ingredient Braised Beef

Serves 6-8 | Prep: 10 minutes | Cook: 3-4 hours

Ingredients

• 1 large can of whole tomatoes
• 1 large carrot, sliced
• 1-1.5kg boneless beef chuck roast, tied with string
• 1 head of garlic, separated into cloves, left unpeeled

Method

1. Preheat oven to 150°C.
2. Coarsely blend the tomatoes with their juice in a food processor.
3. Place the roast in a casserole dish with a lid (a tight fit is fine, as the meat will shrink during cooking).
4. Pour the tomatoes over the roast, and scatter the carrots and garlic around it. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
5. Braise, covered, in the middle of the oven until tender, approximately 3 to 4 hours.
6. Cut the roast into thick slices and serve with mashed potatoes or crusty bread and steamed vegetables.

Tips

• Tying the roast with string helps it hold its shape as it cooks, making for neater slices once it’s rested.
• The unpeeled garlic cloves become soft and sweet during the long braise — simply squeeze them out of their skins to serve alongside the beef, or mash them straight into the pan juices for extra flavour.
• This dish reheats beautifully, and any leftovers make outstanding roast beef rolls the next day, piled onto crusty bread with the pan juices spooned over.
• If your casserole dish doesn’t have a lid, a tight double layer of foil works just as well to keep the moisture in during the long, slow cook.