BRAISED BEEF WITH RED ONION GREMOLATA

Braised Beef with Red Onion Gremolata image

Yield Makes 8 servings

Number Of Ingredients 25

Beef:
5 pounds boneless beef chuck roast
Kosher salt, freshly ground pepper
1/4 cup olive oil
2 large onions, sliced
2 cups dry red wine
1/2 cup red wine vinegar
1/4 cup sugar
2 garlic cloves, crushed
4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 bunch thyme
Gremolata:
1/4 small red onion, finely chopped
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 red jalapeño or Fresno chile, with seeds, finely chopped
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
1/4 cup chopped fresh chives
1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1/4 cup finely grated lemon zest
Kosher salt, freshly ground pepper
Assembly:
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
Kosher salt, freshly ground pepper
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup vegetable oil

Steps:

For beef:
Preheat oven to 325°F. Tie roast with kitchen twine at 1" intervals; season with salt and pepper.
Heat oil in a large ovenproof pot over medium-high heat. Cook onions, stirring occasionally, until soft, 10-15 minutes. Add wine, vinegar, and sugar. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer until reduced by half, 10-12 minutes. Add garlic and broth and return to a simmer; add roast and thyme. Cover and braise in oven, turning roast occasionally, until roast is tender, 2 1/2-3 hours.
Transfer roast to a large baking dish and strain braising liquid over. Cover and chill onions. Cover roast at least 12 hours.
DO AHEAD: Roast can be braised 2 days ahead. Keep chilled.
For gremolata:
Combine onion and vinegar in a medium bowl. Let sit 30 minutes; drain. Add chile, basil, chives, parsley, and lemon zest and toss; season with salt and pepper.
For assembly:
Scrape fat from beef; discard. Transfer beef to a cutting board. Bring solidified braising liquid to a boil in a large saucepan. Reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until reduced to 2 cups, 25-30 minutes. Add vinegar and braised onions; season sauce with salt and pepper.
Place flour in a shallow bowl. Remove twine from roast and slice into eight 1-1 1/2" pieces; season with salt and pepper. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Working in batches, dredge meat in flour and cook until browned and crisp, about 4 minutes per side. Arrange on a platter and drizzle with sauce; top with gremolata.