Tamari Braised Chuck Roast with Coconut Rice, Arugula, Umeboshi + Ginger

If you spend a little time on a big roast and pot of rice, you will have what you need to make a quick, healthy breakfast, lunch or dinner. This is a very typical meal in our house. Sometimes we’ll add an egg on top, or more vegetables, but it is also wonderful to eat simply with a handful of greens and salty, pickled toppings. Chuck roast is one of my favorite cuts of beef. It becomes melt-in-your-mouth delicious as it braises and I can put it in my oven and nearly forget about it and it still works out every time. Choose grass-fed beef as it will be much more flavorful and healthier for body/planet/soil.

Roasting Chuck

1 2-3 lb grass-fed, bone-in chuck roast
Kosher salt
1 tablespoon butter
2 tablespoons EV olive oil

Marinade:

¼ cup tamari
3 tablespoons rice vinegar
2 tablespoons fish sauce
2 tablespoons maple syrup
2 tablespoons sesame oil

Method

Salt the chuck roast with plenty of kosher salt for a few hours or overnight.

Bring the chuck roast to room temperature (30 min- 1 hour) and heat your oven to 275.

Heat an extra large dutch oven or cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat and sear the chuck in a mix of butter and olive oil until both sides are nicely browned.

Mix the tamari, vinegar, fish sauce, syrup, and sesame oil in a small mason jar, shaking to combine, and then pour it over the chuck.

Place the lid on the pan and braise the chuck in the oven for around 3-4 hours. The chuck is ready when it is easy to shred with a fork.

Coconut Rice

2 cups short grain brown rice
1 15 oz. can full fat coconut milk

Method

Soak the rice for four hours, or overnight. Drain and rinse the rice, then add the coconut milk and 1 can worth of water and cook in a sauce pan on your stovetop.

Put it together

I like my rice pan fried, so I put some cooked rice in a skillet on medium-high heat, added some shredded chuck, a big handful of arugula and spooned juices from the chuck braise on top. Then, I finished the dish with more juices, umeboshi plums, pickled ginger and a bit of yuzu salt.