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Best Beef For Braising

If you are wondering what the best beef for braising is, then you have come to the right place. By far the best choice is the chuck roast. I love to braise because it is easy and makes cheaper cuts of meat tender and juicy.

The best part of braising beef is the flavor. It’s hard to explain it until you do it and taste it for yourself.

You get this really buttery taste from the beef and I think that is from the fat rendering down in the beef.

raw chuck roast trimmed

#1 Beef for Braising (Chuck roast)

Now we come down to my winner. The best beef for braising is the chuck roast by far. It is my go-to when I want to braise beef.

The price is good for this type of cooking method. It is also a great cut when you want to make a stew. I would rather cut up a chuck roast to add to a delicious dutch oven beef stew.

The chuck roast is by far the most popular beef for a pot roast. The chuck comes from the shoulder of the cow and it’s a muscle that does a lot of work.

When you braise the chuck it is a game-changer. You can use this beef for a classic Sunday dinner and you can also use it during the week for all kinds of dishes like tacos and breakfast burritos!

Now go out and get yourself a chuck roast, follow me and fall into the world of braising! You want to learn how to braise beef.

Types of beef for braising

Now don’t get me wrong, you can pretty much braise all types of beef. The goal is low and slow to break down the beef.

You’re looking to use tougher cuts. One thing to really consider is to not braise the beef that you would love to grill. I am talking about all kinds of cuts of beef like ribeye, filet, or New York strip. Save these cuts for the grill!

Short ribs

Short ribs are one of my favorite cuts of beef to braise. The flavor that you get from them with the bone in is incredible.

With short ribs, you will sacrifice the amount of meat you get seeing that they tend to have a lot of bone. The amount of fat that renders is a lot but it is so worth the flavor.

Don’t be surprised to see 50% of the meat disappear after a long braise. Add these to a bed of rice or a mound of some great creamy mashed potatoes.

Stew meat

A lot of people will use stew meat for braising but the fact is it is sirloin and I feel there are a lot of better choices.

I think a big reason that it is used is that it is already cut at your grocery store or butcher. So if you need to braise and it’s all you have it will work but I do feel a better cut to get would be the chuck roast.

Stew meat is also a cheaper choice when you shop for meat.

Brisket

This is a great cut of beef to braise. It is done well when you smoke it low and slow and braising it is a game-changer.

The problem I have with choosing a brisket is the cost, it can be incredibly expensive to buy a brisket and it has not always been that way.

The price really went up when it got popular for BBQ. This made the former cheap cut get really expensive. Now if the cost is not a problem I would go for it but because of the cost, it is not at the top of my list.

Rump roast

The rump roast would be a 2nd choice for me as for a piece of meat to braise.

It comes from the back of the cow “rump” and is a little leaner than the chuck roast.

It is a good price for a tougher cut of meat that you can make really tender and fill it with flavor with braising.

Choosing a chuck roast for braising

chuck roast being braised

If I was going to choose between grass-fed and grain-fed I would go with grass. Here are a few of the differences between both.

Grass-fed

If you can afford it I am all about the grass-fed beef. You really get a lot more beef flavor when you go with grass-fed. You really can tell the difference in the flavor. You get a really earthy flavor.

Now if it’s your first time eating grass-fed you will notice a difference and might take a little more time to get used to but it is truly worth it.

It is a lot healthier for you.

Grain-fed

This is the most common form of beef cuts and by far the most economical. As it is called the cow is fed grain.

One of the things you want to watch out for with a grain-fed cow is if it is being fed grain that has GMOs in it. I really try to eat non-GMO and any animals that feed on that type of grain.

There are so many reasons why there are so many health risks caused by eating GMOs.

Why braise beef?

Braising beef is a method of cooking that is to cook low and slow. Using this method helps break down tough meats and make them super tender and delicious.

The cooking method of braising beef is simple. You will need to have a pot that you can cover tightly and leave on the stovetop to cook for a few hours on low. 

Another benefit is the low cost of some of these cuts of meat compared to the cuts that you would typically grill.

What meat is best for braising?

The best meat for braising is meat that is tough and could benefit from this form of cooking low and slow.

These are muscles that do a lot of work for the animal and not areas that have a lot of fat.

What is braising used for?

Braising is used to tenderize tough cuts of meat. They break down the muscle of the meat. This form of cooking can bring a lot of flavor to the dish.

What is used for braising?

A lot of the common ingredients used for braising include broths, stocks, carrots, onions, carrots, and a typical mirepoix.

You also can find a wine like red and white to deglaze and also bring flavor to the meat.

Let me know in the comments the type of beef you like to braise.

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