Easy German Style Chuck Roast 🥩

If you’re a beef lover like us, I’m sure you’ve had many types of roasted beef in your life. Maybe you’ve even tried my moms famous roast tenderloin 👩🏻‍🍳

Today, I’m sharing another family favorite which is a chuck roast, prepared the German way 🇩🇪

When my parents were growing up, it was not uncommon to have a roast on the weekend, usually pork, but sometimes beef too! This was of course eaten with potatoes (which we are swapping for our favorite mashed cauliflower with butter 🧈) and some sort of vegetable.

Typically, the juices of the roast are thickened with flour to create a gravy, but we find that this is one necessary. The onions, drippings and gelatin powder melt together to create a yummy sauce as well 🤩

I got my grass-fed and regeneratively raised chuck roast from Northstar Bison. You can get yours there too and save 10$ when you use my referral link, or you can check out my complete guide to beef and bison for other great sources!

This roast was boneless but they also sell a bone in version which is a great way to get in extra collagen and eat more nose to tail!

To make this you need:

1 chuck roast, preferably grass fed and finished, usually between 3-5 pounds (bone in options are good too) 🥩

An onion 🧅

Salt and pepper 🧂

Sweet Paprika Powder 🌶

Garlic Powder 🧄

Tallow for searing 🧈

Water or optimally beef bone broth for braising

Gelatin powder and optimally heavy cream for the sauce 🤩

To make:

Heat up tallow in an oven safe pot, and sear the meat on all sides to seal it (this helps maintain moisture)! Preheat the oven to about 400° F.

While the meat is searing, finely chop the onions and add those in! Cook until those become translucent!

Season with garlic, salt, pepper and sweet paprika and let it sear a few minutes.

Pour on your braising liquid, water or beef bone broth, bring to a boil and turn down the heat to let it simmer. Put on the lid and transfer into the oven. Bake for 2.5-3 hours and regularly check to make sure there is enough liquid in the pot. After an hour or so, you can begin to turn the heat down to 300-350° F. A low and slow braise yields in more tender meat.

The roast is done when you can easily pull it apart with a fork.

For the gravy:

Remove the meat from the liquid and strain the juices to remove onion and small pieces of connective tissue!

Transfer liquid into a pot and put on medium low heat.

Add in a few scoops of gelatin powder (this gives it an umami texture and a thicker mouth feel and you’re getting the gut healing benefits too)! Make sure to stir so that it doesn’t clump.

Season to taste with more sweet paprika powder and garlic powder!

If you tolerate dairy, you can add in some heavy cream!