This slow cooker pulled beef is tender and so delicious. Bathed in onion gravy, it's so easy to make and great for tacos, sandwiches, burgers, pasta and more.
1.8kgbeef brisket, chuck roast or topside roast (or other slow roasting beef), cut into 3-4 large chunks(4lb)
1largebrown onion, thickly sliced
½cuptomato passata (pureed tomatoes, or sugo)
2clovesgarlic (crushed with the side of a knife)
2teaspoonsbeef stock powder
½teaspoonfine sea salt
1tablespoonWorcestershire sauce (or apple cider vinegar)
3sprigsfresh thyme
3teaspoonscornflour (US cornstarch), for thickening the gravy
For best results, always weigh ingredients where a weight is provided
Equipment
Slow cooker
Instructions
OPTIONAL BUT WORTHWHILE: Heat a tablespoon of oil in a large skillet or frying pan over medium high heat and saute the beef on each side just enough to caramelise the outside. You don’t need to cook it through, you just want it to brown a little on the outside.
Meanwhile, add the 1 cup of water, the passata, stock powder, salt, Worcestershire sauce, thyme sprigs, onion and garlic cloves into the bowl of a slow cooker and give it a stir.
Add the seared beef to the top and turn it over in the sauce. Place the lid on and cook 8-10 hours on low until easy to shred. If you can, turn it over in the sauce every so often. Timing will depend on your cut of beef and size.
Transfer the beef to a chopping board.
If there is a layer of fat over the sauce in the slow cooker, skim out some of the fat by laying a spoon to the surface just so that the oil seeps onto the spoon, leaving the cooking juices behind. You can discard that or refrigerate and use it as a cooking oil.
Pour the sauce into a large saucepan. Remove and discard the thyme sprigs. Use an immersion blender to blend to a smooth sauce. If you don’t have an immersion blender, do it in a regular blender with the steam vent open and a tea towel placed lightly over the top. Pulse to blend being careful as the heat can make it splash.
Bring the gravy to a boil and cook for 2-3 minutes to naturally reduce a little. Mix the cornflour with 2 teaspoons of water. While stirring the gravy, pour in the cornflour slurry. Continue to cook down until it’s the consistency you like.
While the gravy thickens, shred the beef with two forks and place it back into the slow cooker on the keep warm setting.
Pour over enough gravy to moisten the meat to your liking then serve. I use it all.
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Notes
Tablespoons: I use a standard Australian 20ml tablespoon (equal to 4 teaspoons). Check yours before measuring.
Which beef to use: There are many cuts of beef you can use here and the results will depend on the amount of fat. I like topside for it's rich and beefy flavour however it does have a tendency to turn out drier than brisket, for instance, as it doesn’t have much fat, if any, running through it. The gravy is so important when using topside. Brisket works really well too, tastes good and it’s fattier so the meat tends to turn out more moist. Beef chuck is good too, flavourful and has a little more fat through the meat making it more moist but fattier.
Beef stock: If using pre-made beef stock from a carton, use 1 cup, then add either a teaspoon of beef stock powder or 2 teaspoons of soy sauce. This additional stock or soy adds a little salt while adding umami as well.
Nutrition details are approximate only - scroll below the recipe to find the full nutritional information.
Have you tried this recipe?Don't forget to leave a rating and comment below and let me know how it was! I love hearing from you. Nutrition information is approximate and derived from an online calculator. The brands you use may cause variations.