Guajillo Braised Chuck Roast

Braised Guajillo Chuck roast is the perfect cozy meal for a special dinner. Use the tender chunks of beef in tacos, salads, rice bowls, or vegetable bowls. The aroma of this incredible dish will consume your household as it braises for several hours in the Dutch oven. While the beef is the star of this meal, the Guajillo peppers and dried spices create a drool-worthy smoky, and intense flavor profile.

This recipe is a modified version of the very first recipe I published in my RV kitchen, Texas Chili. I created the Texas Chili recipe back in 2019 while we lived full-time in our Airstream Interstate Sprinter van. What is unique to Texas chili, is that it doesn’t include any beans or any tomatoes. It is simply beef and flavors from guajillo peppers. Over the past five years, I have made this dish over and over and over. However, I have made some serious modifications and feel that my new version deserves its own recipe.

The biggest changes from this recipe compared to my traditional Texas chili are:

1. I use much less broth. So much less that this isn’t a chili anymore. It is now a braised chuck roast. It still has the same base flavors, but it is much more of a thickened sauce in this new version. There is still enough sauce to spoon over your serving plate, but it is so intense in flavor that a little goes a long way.
   
   
2. I cut the chuck roast into much larger chunks. I started braising a lot more this past year and have become obsessed with large pieces of tender meat that fall apart after braising. I love keeping the integrity of the chuck roast this way. And since it’s no longer a chili, the bite-size pieces aren’t necessary. If you are looking for a braised pork recipe, check out this Mojo Pork.
   
   
3. Braising in the oven is the cooking method in this revised version. Now that we are in a 5th wheel with a residential oven, I use it and abuse it. Back in our Airstream Interstate, I did not have the luxury of an oven. I created my original Texas Chili using my induction cooktop (which I still love and use all the time).

Step-by-step images to make this chuck roast

Links for tools/items used in this recipe:

• Kitchen shears
• Pasture-raised beef
• Induction cooktop
• 6-quart Dutch oven
• Cuisinart Smart Stick
• Wooden spoon
• Silicone pot holders

Guajillo Braised Chuck Roast

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Prep Time 1 hour hr

Cook Time 4 hours hrs

Total Time 5 hours hrs

Course Dinner, Lunch

Ingredients

  

• 4 ½ pounds Chuck roast, trimmed, and cut into large chunks
• 8 dried whole guajillo peppers
• 1 tbsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp black pepper (plus more for seasoning beef)
• 1 tbsp salt (plus more for seasoning beef)
• 1 tsp dried cayenne pepper (optional)
• 1 tbsp smoked paprika
• ½ white onion, finely chopped
• 10 cloves of garlic, grated with a microplane
• 16 oz water
• extra virgin olive oil for searing beef

Instructions

 

• Remove the stems and seeds from the dried peppers by cutting off the top stem, cutting up the pepper vertically, and using your fingers to remove the seeds. Discard the seeds.
• Place clean peppers in a large bowl and cover with hot water. Place a small plate or bowl over top to weigh them down and submerge them. Soak until soft, about 30 minutes
• While the peppers are soaking, I like to chop the onion, grate the garlic, and prepare the beef. Prepare the beef by removing all excess fat. Then, cut into large pieces, about 3x3x3" up to 5x3x3". I prefer the larger size. Season the beef with salt and pepper.
• After the peppers are finished soaking, remove them from the bowl and place them in the food processor, carefully to reserve the water. Add the cumin, black pepper, salt, cayenne, smoked paprika, and ½ cup of reserved water to the food processor. Puree the mixture to form a smooth paste, adding more water only if needed. Set aside.
• Preheat the oven to 350℉
• Heat a large Dutch Oven with lid over high/sear heat and lightly coat with olive oil. Sear the meat in batches to brown all sides of the chunks. Do not overcrowd the pot, do this in batches as needed. Transfer beef into a bowl and reserve.
• Reduce the pot to medium heat and add the onion to cook until translucent, a few minutes. Add garlic and the pepper spice paste in, stirring well to combine, and cook for another 2-3 minutes until fragrant. While stirring, scrape up any brown bits on the bottom of the pot using a wooden spoon.
• Stir in additional water so that the braising liquid will go up ½ way to ¾ way up the beef after you add the beef in. The total amount may vary depending on the size of your pot and how much beef you have. If you're unsure, start with a small amount and add more after if needed after adding in the beef.
• Add the beef back into the pot along with any juices from the holding plate. Put the lid on the Dutch oven and braise for 3-4 hours until fork tender. I like to check on the pot about 2 ½ hours in to make sure there is still enough liquid in the pot (you don't want it to get too low).