Apparently we’ve been eating a lot of chicken lately. I hadn’t even thought about it, but then again, I can happily eat the same things over and over again. (Not a great quality for a food blogger, I realize.)

I think beef is intimidating for me because it definitely has its own unique flavor. Chicken is just such a great blank canvas. Beef is already the whole painting.

But then again, that’s kind of arguable, depending on who you ask. Like my husband. He would totally disagree with that. (And he did. Hence, the beef.)

This recipe is a very welcome change from the pot roast recipes of my past. I hate pot roast (normally) because it was either too bland, too fatty, or too tough.

This marinade does so much for pot roast! It gave it a great, bold flavor, kept things incredibly moist, and created a really hearty sauce for serving.  Waaaaaaay better than gravy!

You might think that coffee and beef don’t go together (kind of like caramel and salt), but you’re wrong. They complement each other perfectly, bringing out the savory quality of the beef without tasting like bitter black coffee. And don’t even get me started on what it does to the vegetables in there! I could almost eat just those. The beef is like the icing on the cake. Or, the beef on the vegetables?

Coffee Braised Beef
based on this recipe from Real Simple

1 pound small red potatoes, quartered
1 medium onion, peeled and quartered
1 pound turnips, chopped
2 1/2 pounds chuck roast
salt & pepper to taste
1 6oz can tomato paste
1 1/2 cups brewed black coffee
2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
2 tbsp brown sugar
*optional: flat leaf parsley to garnish

Place chopped vegetables and 1/2 cup coffee in a large slow-cooker. Set the beef on top and season generously with salt and pepper. Whisk 1 cup coffee, brown sugar, and Worcestershire sauce. Stir tomato paste into coffee mixture to combine. Pour the coffee mixture over the beef and vegetables, then cook (covered) on low in the slow cooker for 7 to 8 hours. We didn’t add any water throughout the day because we were at work, but if you’re home you can keep an eye on it and add as necessary. Serve with country bread (any whole grain, dense bread).

It was pretty exciting knowing that dinner would be done as soon as we got home. Very minimal effort, and very minimal dish washing! And our whole house smelled amazing. I got a knife to slice into the beef, and didn’t even need it. It literally fell apart. I only wish I would have known about this all winter long! C’est la vie. There’s always next year.

What foods could you eat over and over? Are there any foods that you just can’t eat any more?