Braised Demon-Style Beef with Spiced Red Wine Reduction

By Lauren Mitchell, Test Kitchen Director · Reviewed by AislePrompt Editorial · Published 2026-06-23 · Updated 2026-06-23

Tender beef braised slowly in a rich spiced red wine sauce inspired by the mythical theme of human and demon coexistence. This french-inspired beef ready in about 200 minutes pairs beef chuck roast, olive oil, large, diced yellow onion for a weeknight-friendly dinner that comes together with one pan and minimal cleanup. Each serving lands at about 450 calories and feeds 6, so it slots cleanly into a weekly meal plan and pairs well with a quick salad or grain on the side. Tap "Plan a meal with the AI" below to drop this recipe into your week and send the ingredients straight to Instacart. Nutrition values are approximate, calculated from USDA FoodData Central (fdc.nal.usda.gov) — verify against ingredient labels for any health-driven dietary plan.

Ingredients

• 2 lbs beef chuck roast
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 1 large, diced yellow onion
• 2 medium, sliced into 1/2-inch rounds carrots
• 2, chopped celery stalks
• 4, minced garlic cloves
• 1 cup dry red wine
• 2 cups beef broth
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• 2 bay leaves
• 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
• to taste salt

Instructions

1. Step 1: Pat 2 lbs beef chuck roast dry and season with salt and 1/2 tsp ground black pepper. Heat 3 tbsp olive oil in a heavy pot over medium-high heat and sear the beef on all sides until deeply browned, about 3-4 minutes per side, then remove beef and set aside.
2. Step 2: In the same pot, add 1 large diced yellow onion, 2 sliced carrots, and 2 chopped celery stalks; sauté over medium heat for 5 minutes until softened and fragrant.
3. Step 3: Stir in 4 minced garlic cloves and cook for 1 minute until aromatic. Add 2 tbsp tomato paste and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes until the paste darkens.
4. Step 4: Pour in 1 cup dry red wine to deglaze the pot, scraping up browned bits from the bottom; simmer for 5 minutes until reduced by half.
5. Step 5: Return beef to the pot, add 2 cups beef broth, 1 tsp dried thyme, and 2 bay leaves. Bring to a gentle simmer, cover, and reduce heat to low. Braise for 2.5-3 hours until beef is fork-tender.
6. Step 6: Remove beef and bay leaves, increase heat to medium-high, and reduce sauce for 10 minutes until thickened and coats the back of a spoon. Slice beef and serve with the red wine reduction spooned over.