Braised Beef with Sweet Potato and Butternut Squash Mash

This Braised Beef with Sweet Potato and Butternut Squash Mash yields the most tender, fall-apart meat you’ll ever find. It’s beautifully seasoned, perfectly cooked and wonderful alongside a sweet mash. This will be your go-to comfort or special occasion dish.  

Happy Father’s Day! I hope everyone had a great, celebratory day. We had a pretty busy day. This morning we went to my parent’s house and had a big breakfast with the family to celebrate my father and husband. It turned out to be a beautiful, sunny morning (first one in a while!). We all ate outside in the sunshine, then relaxed in the shade while my kids got to play with their aunts and uncles.

Since we had a pretty busy day today, I planned a big surprise dinner for my hubby the night before. I made some amazing chocolate cupcakes where the tops resembled a charcoal grill, and my husband’s favorite dish; braised beef with sweet potato and butternut squash with green beans. This meal is unreal. Like get-in-my-belly-right-now amazing. The meat is tender to the point of falling apart and beyond juicy. It is over the top with the butternut squash mash on the side.

This dish takes quite a while to cook, but it is beyond worth it. And it only gets better the next day, which I don’t even know how that is possible. If you make this dish, I swear that the loved one in your life will be groveling at your knees and whisking you away (even if they already have before!). This dish will make everything right in your life. Okay, okay, I think you get the point. Go make this and be happy.

What you’ll need to make the Braised Beef with Sweet Potato and Butternut Squash Mash

• stew beef
• red wine
• butternut squash
• sweet potatoes
• salt + pepper
• garlic
• bay leaves
• coriander seeds
• allspice
• bacon or pancetta
• red onions
• rosemary
• butter
• ground ginger
• ground nutmeg
• vegetable, canola or grapeseed oil
• chicken stock

Let’s make the braised beef

Start with tossing the stew beef with a little salt and pepper. Then, cook the bacon in a large dutch oven, or oven proof pot. Toss in the onion and cook for a few minutes. Then, stir in the stew beef. Pour in the wine and bring to a boil. Make a little baggie for the herbs out of cheesecloth. Cut the top off the garlic head and nestle in the wine and meat, as well as the baggie of herbs. Simmer the mixture for about 30-45 minutes, until the wine has reduced by about half.

Next, preheat the oven. Once the wine has reduced, pour in the chicken stock and lay rosemary sprigs over the top of the mixture. Bring to a boil. Lay a piece of parchment paper over the top of the pot, then place the cover on the pot. Place the pot in the oven and cook for 2 to 2 1/2 hours, or until the sauce has thickened and the meat is tender. Remove the cover and parchment paper in the last 20 minutes of cooking to allow the meat to brown. Let the braise sit at room temperature for an hour while you make the mash.

Don’t forget the sweet potato and butternut squash mash!

To make the mash, preheat the oven so it’s nice and hot. Brush oil over 1-2 baking sheets. Slice the sweet potatoes in half lengthwise and place cut side down on the prepared baking sheet. Slice the butternut squash in half, scoop out the seeds and place cut side down on the baking sheet with the sweet potatoes. Place in the oven and roast until the flesh is tender when poked with a knife.

Remove the baking sheets from the oven and let cool for a few minutes. Scoop the flesh out of the butternut squash and sweet potatoes and place in a large bowl. Mash together until smooth, then mix in the butter, salt, pepper, ginger and nutmeg. Taste and adjust seasonings if necessary.

When ready to serve, remove the garlic head and squeeze out the garlic cloves. Mix into the braised beef. Remove the rosemary sprigs and baggie of herbs and discard. Scoop the mash on a large plate and spoon the braised beef and sauce over the mash. Devour!

Notes & tidbits

This is even better the next day as leftovers! Just warm the braised beef in the pot on the stove. The mash can be warmed in the oven or microwave.

Recipe from Lily’s House 

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Braised Beef with Sweet Potato and Butternut Squash Mash

Yield: 8-10 servings

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 3 hours

Inactive Time: 1 hour

Total Time: 4 hours 20 minutes

This recipe yields the most tender, fall-apart meat you'll ever find. It's beautifully seasoned, perfectly cooked and wonderful alongside a sweet mash. This will be your go-to comfort or special occasion dish.  

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Ingredients

For the braised beef

• 4 lbs. stew meat, cut into 1 inch cubes
• 2 Tablespoons grapeseed oil
• 2 medium red onions, peeled and diced
• 1 head garlic, top cut off, but skins left on
• 1 cup pancetta or bacon, diced
• 1/2 bottle of a dry red wine
• 5 peppercorns
• 6 whole coriander seeds (or 3/4 teaspoon ground)
• 2 dried bay leaves
• 2 whole allspice
• kosher salt
• 3-5 sprigs fresh rosemary (or 2 teaspoons dried)
• fresh ground pepper
• 2-3 cups chicken stock

For the sweet potato and butternut squash mash

• 2 large sweet potatoes
• 1 large butternut squash
• grapeseed or canola oil
• 4 Tablespoons salted butter
• sea salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
• ground black pepper

Instructions

1. To make the braised beef, toss cubed beef with salt to lightly season.
2. In a large, dutch oven, heat the grapeseed oil over medium-high heat. Add the pancetta or bacon and cook until beginning to brown. Add the diced onion and cook until the bacon is golden brown and the onion is translucent, about 5-8 minutes.
3. Add beef and stir to coat with oil and onion mixture. Pour in the wine and bring to a boil. In a small baggie made of cheesecloth, add the peppercorns, coriander seeds, bay leaves and allspice, tie closed with kitchen twine. (This baggie is optional, just make it easier then having to pick out everything at the end) Add to the pot along with the garlic head. Reduce the heat to low and simmer until the wine is reduced by half, about 45 minutes.
4. Preheat the oven to 325ºF. Add the stock and rosemary, and add salt to taste. Bring to a boil. Remove from the heat, place a piece of parchment paper under the cover and place in the oven.
5. Cook for 2 to 2 1/2 hours until the sauce is thickened and the meat is tender. For the last 20 minutes of baking, take the the top and parchment paper off to brown the meat.
6. Let the braise sit at room temperature for one hour.
7. Squeeze the garlic cloves from the skins into the pot and remove the baggie and rosemary stems. Stir in some fresh ground black pepper. Reheat on the stove before serving.
8. While the braise is sitting at room temperature for an hour, I like to make the mash.
9. Preheat the oven to 400ºF. Prepare two baking sheets by brushing oil over the surface. Set aside.
10. Slice the sweet potatoes in half, lengthwise. Place, cut side down, on the prepared baking sheets. Slice the butternut squash in half lengthwise. Scoop out the seeds and discard them. Place the squash cut side down on the prepared baking sheets.
11. Place both baking sheets in the oven and bake for 30-50 minutes, or until tender and a knife slides easily into the cut side.
12. Scoop out the insides from the skin into a large bowl. Discard the skins. Add butter, salt to taste, ginger, nutmeg and pepper. Mash until well blended and smooth. Serve warm.

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 10 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 674

Nutritional information is only an estimate.

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