This spicy stewed beef with grits is made by slow-cooking a chuck roast in salsa taquera and tomatoes with plenty of crushed red pepper.
This spicy stewed beef with grits is a low and slow recipe. The finished product is one that is absolutely the perfect comfort meal for a cold, snowy day.
Stewed in Xilli salsa taquera, this beef is tangy, spicy, and aromatic. Piled high on creamy, rich cheesy grits, this a rich, delicious dinner. I garnished mine with jalapeños en escabeche which added just the right amount of pickly heat to this rich and comforting meal. This is a perfect snow meal that is so easy to throw together! If you work from home, you can even turn the heat in the oven down to the lowest setting and let it cook all day long. Alternatively, you can prepare this in your slow cooker by combining all of the ingredients on low heat for 8 hours.
How to Make Spicy Stewed Beef with Grits:
First, start with the beef. Pat the chuck roast dry and season all over with salt and butter. Fry it up in oil over medium-high heat until well-browned all over. Add sliced onion wedges and allow them to brown up a touch.
Once the onions are softened and beginning to brown, pour in beef stock and add a jar of salsa taquera (or your favorite salsa…or a can of tomatoes plus your favorite Mexican spices).
Next, add a can of whole-peeled tomatoes and bring to a boil. Transfer to the oven, covered, for 3 hours until very tender. Remove the lid and let it bake, uncovered, for another hour or so or until the meat is falling apart. Shred the beef and set aside.
From there, simply prepare your grits and serve the beef on top. I garnish my dish with Xilli jalapeños in escabeche but you can use your favorite brand of pickled jalapeños.
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Spicy Stewed Beef with Grits
Equipment
- Wide braising pot
- Medium pot
Ingredients
Spicy Stewed Beef
- 2-3 pound chuck roast
- 1 tablespoon avocado oil
- 1 yellow onion peeled and sliced into wedges
- ½ cup beef stock
- 28- ounce can whole peeled tomatoes
- 10 ounce jar salsa taquera
- Crushed red pepper to taste
- 1 teaspoon brown sugar more if you like a sweeter heat
- Salt and pepper to taste
Cheesy Grits:
For Serving:
- Minced scallions
- Jalapeños en escabeche aka pickled jalapeños
Instructions
Brown the Beef:
- Preheat oven to 350ºF. Pat the chuck dry and season all over with salt and pepper. Cut the steak into thirds.
- Heat the avocado oil in a wide pot over medium-high heat. Once shimmering, add the chuck and cook the steak pieces for 4-5 minutes per side until browned all over.
- Add the onion the skillet around the steak and continue cooking until the onion softens and begins to turn light golden brown, an additional 5-6 minutes.
- Pour in the beef stock and bring to a boil. Add the whole peeled tomatoes, salsa taquera, crushed red pepper, salt, pepper, and brown sugar. Bring to a boil and then turn off the heat.
Roast the Beef:
- Cover the beef and transfer to the oven for 3 hours.
- Remove the pot from the oven and taste. Turn the oven to 275ºF.
- Season again to taste with salt, pepper, crushed red pepper, and more sugar, if you like. Return to the oven, uncovered, for 1 hour until the beef is completely falling apart. Add more liquid, as necessary, if the beef liquid evaporates too quickly.
- Shred the beef and keep warm.
Prepare the Cheese Grits:
- Bring 2 cups of water to a boil. Stir in the grits and salt and reduce heat. Stir in the milk. Simmer, stirring often, for 20 minutes until thickened and tender. Stir in the butter, cheddar cheese, paprika, salt, and pepper. Turn off the heat and allow the grits to rest for 5 minutes.
To Serve:
- Divide the cooked grits between plates and pile the beef on top. Garnish with pickled jalapeños and minced scallions. Enjoy!
