Beef Recipes

The first time I ate roasted baby bok choy I immediately thought, “What on earth took me so long?” Just like its roast-happy cruciferous cousins—cabbage, brussels sprouts, cauliflower, and broccoli—baby bok choy reacts magically to a slick of oil, a showering of salt, and a quick visit to a hot oven. The plump base turns tender while retaining a bit of bite. And the delicate leaves soften into velvet with a hint of kale-chip crispness around the edges. I’m not exaggerating when I suggest I could make a meal out of roasted baby bok choy alone. But when I manage to hold back from snagging too many straight from the oven, they are delightful paired with steak. On particularly busy weekdays, I take 10 minutes in the morning (or occasionally the night before) to settle the steak in a quick, garlicky marinade before popping it in the fridge. Sometimes I also halve the bok choy and toss them in a large Tupperware so dinner time is simply a matter of preheating the oven and arranging everything on a sheet pan. In the few moments of downtime while everything is roasting and broiling away, well honestly, I pour a glass of wine. But recently, I also started stirring up a batch of lemony miso butter. The mix of softened butter, umami-packed miso, and bright lemon zest is exactly as delicious as the sum of its parts, and it transforms the already elevated weeknight meal (see: roasted baby bok choy) into a showstopper. You may notice that this recipe makes more miso butter than one could conceivably dollop onto a single dinner. That leftover butter stores well in the fridge and enhances everything it touches, from grilled fish and pasta to warm biscuits and popcorn. As for the baby bok choy, I can guarantee that leftovers won’t be an issue.

Mashama Bailey roasts these hefty beef shanks in a ginger- and spice-spiked tomato sauce which she finishes with a generous dollop of thick and creamy peanut butter. She garnishes with Microplane-grated coffee beans; toss them in a coffee grinder for a chunkier texture.

On a recent visit to the Valais, a region in southwest Switzerland known for both the highest mountain peaks and most vineyards in the country, I attended a small wine festival in the German-speaking village of Saas-Balen. One of the food stalls bore a sign that read “Militär Landküche”; inside, a group of Swiss Army veterans wearing camouflage fatigues and crimson berets were cooking in a real-deal Swiss Army field kitchen. From giant iron vats perched in the back of the mobile kitchen trailer they ladled up a stew of beef, cabbage, and root vegetables in a thin but richly flavored broth. The dish was called spatz, and it was humbly served in a paper bowl, accompanied by a plain slice of brown bread on a paper napkin. Though I had been eagerly anticipating a feast of melted raclette, naturally, I had to try it. It was both unexpected and fascinating, an ideal pairing to the alpine red wines I’d tasted at the event. This dish is simple, utilitarian fare meant for feeding a large group, and it’s deeply nourishing. Every male in Switzerland is required to serve in the military, so the stew is well-known throughout the country, with infinite variations based on the region and season. When I asked my friend Olivier Roten (who is a third-generation Valaisan winemaker of Caves du Paradis in Sierre) about the stew, he recalled eating it regularly from the standard-issue mess kit soldiers carry with them that features two compartments: one side for the stew and the other side for bread and other starchy sides. He explained that stews like this are not only ubiquitous in the military, but to Swiss cuisine in general—so much so that the word for the evening meal in French-speaking Switzerland is le souper, as opposed to le dîner, which is more commonly used in France. I’ve read that spatz is a variation of French pot-au-feu, although certainly a less fussy one. I love it for its simplicity. Everything goes into one pot; a few hours later a meal ideal for the depths of winter emerges. It’s just the right kind of healthy eating for that post-holiday detox, without sacrificing flavor and satisfaction. Swiss wines are wildly underrepresented in the United States, but do seek them out. Perhaps you’ve heard of Chasselas, called Fendant in the Valais, and its kinship to all things cheese, from fondue to raclette, but here’s an opportunity to try a Swiss red. Pinot Noir thrives in the Valais, where it grows in the terraced foothills of the Upper Rhône River Valley alongside Gamay and more rustic indigenous varieties like Humagne Rouge and Cornalin. I found Roten’s 2017 Avalanche Pinot Noir a delicious match to this recipe, with its characteristic silky-smooth texture and hints of holiday spice that mirror the clove and nutmeg found in the broth.

Tender but hearty handmade noodles, simply made with flour, eggs, and whole-milk yogurt, add texture to the stew and thicken the broth. Store the noodles and broth separately to prevent the noodles from dissolving. Read Iliana Regan's essay about this recipe, My Mom Daydreams About These Noodles.

Make your next beef stew in a slow cooker for all that long-cooked, rich flavor with none of the fuss. Adding a few ingredients near the end of cooking helps the dish stay fresh and bright with plenty of texture. Be sure to use boneless chuck roast, which has excellent marbling and flavor. Feel free to double this recipe, which makes even better leftovers, and freezes easily once cooled.

Make your next beef stew in an Instant Pot for that slow-cooked, rich flavor in a fraction of the time of traditional recipes. Adding the mushrooms and onions during the few last minutes helps preserve their texture; the addition of mustard and vinegar bring a nice brightness that balances chuck’s rich flavor. Be sure to use boneless chuck roast, which has excellent marbling and flavor. Feel free to double this recipe, which makes even better leftovers, and freezes easily once cooled.