Hearty and full of flavor, this Easy Braised Italian Beef Recipe uses just a few simple ingredients for a shredded beef dinner the whole family will love. Serve with sliced pepperoncini, roasted red bell peppers, and melty provolone cheese, and don't forget the au jus!
Preheat oven to 300°. Pat dry beef roast chunks and sprinkle liberally with salt and pepper. Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Once shimmering, add the beef in a single layer, working in batches if needed, and sear for 1-2 minutes per side. Remove from pot and set aside on a large plate.
Add remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil and stir in onion until coated. Cook for 4 minutes, or until lightly softened and browned. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute more, or until garlic becomes fragrant.
Deglaze the pan with a splash of the beef stock, scraping up the brown bits from the bottom of the pan, then add the rest of the beef stock, the pepperoncini peppers and their juices, and the Italian seasoning and pepper.
Nestle the beef chunks back into the pot, covering them with as much liquid as possible, then cover and place in the oven to braise for 4 hours, or until the meat easily shreds with the twist of a fork.
Remove pot from oven, then gently remove meat from pot and shred. Drizzle shredded meat with some of the leftover au jus, add a few of the cooked pepperoncini peppers, then garnish with pepperoncini slices, red bell pepper slices, and top with provolone cheese. Scoop and serve on hoagies or enjoy as-is!
Notes
TO MAKE IN CROCKPOT: Just throw everything in there, no need to sear, and let it go on LOW for 10-12 hours.
If you want a thicker au jus, gently boil down the remaining liquid after removing the meat from the pot. If you want to go that route, I recommend using a lower-sodium beef broth to prevent the au jus from becoming overly salty.