Cooked to shreds

I've always liked pot roast. But I've found something I like even better.

Shredded beef. And it's about as close to pot roast as it gets.

Like pot roast, this beef is slowly simmered in its own juices and a few other ingredients until the meat is meltingly tender and the sauce is as rich as Croesus.

One difference is that my method for shredded beef tends to create a sauce that's a bit more concentrated in flavor. And the meat is always nice and moist because it's completely coated in sauce.

As you might expect, to make good shredded beef it helps to know how to make good pot roast.

And to make good pot roast, it helps to know how to braise. Braising is much like stewing, but it uses a smaller amount of liquid, covers the pot to create steam pressure and uses large pieces of meat instead of bite-sized cubes.

Typically, braised dishes begin by browning the meat on the stovetop. One discovery I've made is that although browning adds a depth of flavor, it's not essential. Skipping this step saves a lot of time and fuss. And it's not really noticeable when the meat is well-seasoned and cooked with a lot of flavorful ingredients, as with the shredded-beef recipes below.

Instead, my method involves sautéing onions and sometimes other vegetables and adding seasonings, liquid and meat. Then I stick it in the oven for a few hours, checking it once or twice to flip the meat.

The pot, typically a Dutch oven, should be heavy with a thick bottom and walls. A cast-iron pot is ideal. It's best if the pot is not too big for the meat; a snug fit is better than a loose fit.

A tight-fitting lid is needed to cook the beef under pressure to make it tender.

The tight lid also helps keep the small amount of liquid from evaporating too much.

Sauce secrets

How much liquid to put in a braised dish depends on personal preference. The idea is to create a sauce with a deep flavor. The less liquid used, the more flavorful the sauce.

Some braised recipes call for cooking the meat in liquid only ¼- to ½-inch deep. I like it deeper, usually at least halfway up the sides of the meat.

I've found that 1 to 1½ cups of liquid for each pound of meat works well. After several hours of cooking, that usually leaves just the right amount of sauce to moisten the meat.

If necessary, the sauce can be simmered in the pot without a lid for a few minutes at the end of cooking to reduce it and to concentrate the flavor.

Take it slow

Shredded beef can be done on a stovetop, but I prefer an oven because it doesn't need stirring.

A slow oven of 300 to 325 degrees is ideal. A cooler oven just takes too long. A hottert oven boils the meat, cooking the outside long before the inside and making the meat stringy and dry.

At 300 degrees, braised meat will take an hour or more for each pound.

Shredded beef also works well in a slow cooker. For a 3-pound roast, plan on about 6 hours on the high setting or 10 hours on low. Make sure the lid forms a tight seal. Turn it and check it occasionally for tenderness.

The meat should be fork-tender or should have an internal temperature of 210 degrees. The folks at Cook's Illustrated magazine discovered that the most tender meat reaches 210 degrees and holds that temperature for an hour.

Though it might seem that it's impossible to overcook meat that is being cooked so long, that's not so. Watch the pot, and when the meat is fully tender turn off the heat.

Both overcooking and using a temperature that's too high can result in braised meat that is dry and stringy. The same poor result can come from choosing a cut of meat that is too lean.

Cuts

Chuck is the classic cut of beef for pot roast and braising because its beefy flavor and plenty of fat keep the meat moist over long periods of cooking.

A second choice that's slightly leaner is a rump roast. The rump is technically part of the round, but other cuts from the round should be avoided because they typically produce dry and stringy braised meat.

A rump roast tends to sit considerably taller than a chuck roast, and its thicker middle means it can take longer to cook than a flat chuck roast. To decrease the cooking time, the rump roast can be butterflied or cut in half horizontally to make it half as thick. Try making the resulting pieces the same thickness for even cooking.

Chuck will give you a richer dish than rump, but the chuck tends to have more fat and calories. Chuck also might be more likely to require skimming the sauce to remove excess fat — but that depends on the particular piece of meat and personal preference.

A third choice, less used but still good, is beef brisket. It doesn't fall apart the way chuck and rump roasts do, but it delivers flavorful meat.

Short ribs fall into a slightly different category because they are smaller pieces of meat and are on a bone. But short ribs can be used to make tasty shredded beef.

My formula is to use about 3 pounds of meat, 1 large onion, 3 cups of liquid and a few seasonings. But the formula has lots of variations.

Sometimes I use tomatoes for the liquid, alone or in combination with wine or stock. Sometimes I add other vegetables, such as celery or mushrooms, and I also play around with different herbs and spices.

In the recipes below, I incorporate seasonings from Italian, Mexican and Jamaican cuisines.

Once you get the hang of it, you'll think of other ideas. Southern-style shredded beef (or pork) can be braised in barbecue sauce. Spanish-style beef can be flavored with smoked paprika, chorizo and red wine. Asian shredded beef might combine soy sauce, hoisin sauce and ginger. Greek-style might be topped with some crumbled feta cheese.

The other thing I like about shredded beef is that it can be served a lot of ways. Rice is my go-to accompaniment, but shredded beef also is good over pasta, polenta or even mashed potatoes. When you get tired of all those, you can serve the meat in a warm tortilla like a taco.

Italian Shredded Beef

Makes 8 servings

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 ounces chopped pancetta or bacon

1 finely chopped celery rib

1 finely chopped carrot

1 finely chopped onion

8 ounces finely chopped white or cremini mushrooms (See Note)

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 bay leaves

1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary

Pinch dried marjoram or oregano

¼ cup chopped fresh parsley leaves

1 tablespoon tomato paste

1 28-ounce can petite diced tomatoes

½ cup dry red wine

1 cup beef stock

Salt and pepper

1 3-pound beef rump roast or chuck roast

1 pound penne or rigatoni, cooked and drained or 2 cups cooked polenta

Freshly grated Parmesan, optional

1. Heat the oven to 300 degrees. Heat the oil over medium-high heat in a Dutch oven or other large ovenproof pot with a tight-fitting lid. Add the pancetta or bacon and cook, stirring until fat begins to render, about 2 minutes. Add celery, carrot, onion and mushrooms, and cook, stirring until slightly softened, about 5 minutes.

2. Stir in garlic, bay leaves, rosemary, oregano and parsley. Add tomato paste, tomatoes, wine and stock and bring to a simmer. Taste and add salt and pepper as needed.

3. If the rump roast has a shape that might cause it to cook unevenly or take a long time to get tender, cut it in half horizontally or butterfly it to make the meat more of an even thickness. Season the meat with salt and pepper on all sides. Add meat to pot and briefly baste with sauce. Return pot to a simmer.

4. Place foil over pot, then cover with lid to achieve as tight a seal as possible. Place in the oven and cook 3 to 4 hours, or until meat is fork-tender. Turn meat once or twice, resealing lid each time. (Meat should register 210 degrees on an instant-read thermometer.)

5. Remove the meat and shred with fingers or two forks. If needed, skim sauce to remove any excess fat. Taste sauce and simmer uncovered for a few minutes if needed to concentrate flavor and thicken. Taste and add salt and pepper as needed. Return meat to pot, stirring it into the sauce. Serve meat over hot pasta or polenta. Sprinkle with Parmesan, if desired.

Note: In the traditional Italian pot roast on which this recipe is based, dried porcini mushrooms are used instead of fresh mushrooms. If desired, substitute 1 ounce dried porcini mushrooms for the fresh mushrooms. Heat the beef stock and soak the mushrooms in the stock about 30 minutes until softened. Strain the liquid through a coffee filter or a sieve lined with a double layer of cheesecloth. Check mushrooms for any hard bits and discard them. Add mushrooms and liquid to the pot when adding the tomatoes and wine.

Mexican Shredded Beef

Makes 8 servings

1 tablespoon oil

1½ white or yellow onions, minced

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 teaspoons chili powder

1 teaspoon cumin powder

1 teaspoon smoked paprika

Pinch cinnamon

1 to 2 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce

1 28-ounce can petite diced tomatoes

1 14.5-ounce can petite diced tomatoes

¼ cup cider vinegar

2 tablespoons molasses, brown sugar or honey

1 3-pound beef rump roast or chuck roast

Salt and black pepper to taste

1 ounce semisweet chocolate, grated (optional)

Hot cooked rice or warm flour or corn tortillas

Shredded lettuce, shredded cheese and sour cream

1. Heat oven to 300 degrees. Add oil over medium-high heat to a Dutch oven or other large pot with a lid. Add onions and cook, stirring until slightly softened, about 5 minutes.

2. Add garlic, chili powder, cumin, paprika, cinnamon, chipotle, tomatoes, vinegar and molasses. Bring to a simmer.

4. Place foil over pot, then cover with lid to achieve a tight seal. Place in the oven and cook 3 to 4 hours, or until meat is fork-tender. Turn meat once or twice, resealing lid each time. (Meat should register 210 degrees on an instant-read thermometer.)

5. Remove the meat and shred with fingers or two forks. If needed, skim sauce of any excess fat. Stir chocolate into sauce. Taste and add salt and pepper as needed. Simmer uncovered for a few minutes if needed to concentrate flavor and thicken. Return meat to pot, stirring it into the sauce. Serve meat over hot rice or in warm tortilla. Garnish with lettuce, cheese and sour cream, or pass the garnishes at the table.

Jamaican Shredded Beef

Makes 8 servings

1 tablespoon oil

1 onion, finely chopped

4 garlic cloves, chopped

1 tablespoon peeled and chopped fresh ginger root or 1 teaspoon ground ginger

½ teaspoon ground allspice

1 tablespoon fresh thyme or 1 teaspoon dried

1 Scotch bonnet, seeded and diced (See Note)

1 14.5-ounce can petite diced tomatoes

1 cup beef stock, chicken stock or water (See Note)

¼ cup cider vinegar

2 tablespoons brown sugar

1 3-pound beef rump roast or chuck roast

Salt and black pepper to taste

Rice and peas (See Note), or just hot cooked rice

1. Heat oven to 300 degrees. Add oil over medium-high heat to a Dutch oven or other large pot with a lid. Add onions and cook, stirring until slightly softened, about 5 minutes.

2. Add garlic, ginger, allspice, thyme, Scotch bonnet, tomatoes, stock, vinegar and sugar. Bring to a simmer.

4. Place foil over pot, then cover with lid to achieve a tight seal. Place in the oven and cook 3 to 4 hours or until meat is fork-tender. Turn meat once or twice, resealing lid each time. (Meat should register 210 degrees on an instant-read thermometer.)

5. Remove the meat and shred with fingers or two forks. If needed, skim sauce of any excess fat. Taste sauce and simmer uncovered for a few minutes if needed to concentrate flavor and thicken. Taste and add salt and pepper as needed. Return meat to pot, stirring it into the sauce. Serve meat over rice and peas.

Note: A Scotch bonnet is a very hot pepper, but its heat is tamed slightly by removing the seeds and inner white membrane. Use gloves when handling. The best substitute is a habanero, and other milder peppers may be used if desired. The dish rice and peas, a staple in Jamaican cooking, is a seasoned mixture of rice and beans such as cowpeas, pigeon peas or red kidney beans. The mixture is typically seasoned with flavorings such as thyme, Scotch bonnet peppers, onion and coconut milk. Instead of stock or water, try adding ginger beer or ginger ale to boost the ginger flavor. If using the sweeter ginger ale, omit the brown sugar.