Amphail Braised Beef

D&D 2024 recipe: Amphail Braised Beef. Source: Heroes' Feast. recipe type Human, serves 4, diet Vegan Ingredients 3 pounds beef chuck roast, trimmed of excess fat Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper 2 tablespoons neutral-tasting oil, such as vegetable, canola, safflower, or grapeseed 5 yellow onions, thickly sliced 1 teaspoon dried thyme, crushed 2 teaspoons ground ginger 1.5 tablespoons all-purpose flour 1 cup sparkling hard cider, preferably pear 0.5 cup low-sodium chicken broth 3 ripe-but-firm Bosc, Bartlett, or Anjou pears, peeled, cored, and cut into 1-inch pieces 0.75 teaspoon cider vinegar 0.25 cup chopped fresh parsley Instructions Set the beef on a cutting board, dry it with paper towels, tie it into a uniform shape with kitchen twine at 2-inch intervals, and sprinkle generously with salt and pepper. In a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat, warm 1 tablespoon of the oil until shimmering. Add the beef and cook, undisturbed, until deeply browned on the bottom, 3 to 4 minutes. Turn the beef and continue cooking, until well browned on each of the remaining three sides, 10 to 12 minutes more. Transfer the beef to a large bowl. Return the pot to medium-high heat, add the remaining 1 tablespoon oil, and warm until shimmering. Add the onions and 1 teaspoon salt and cook, stirring and scraping the bottom of the pot occasionally, until the onions begin to soften and release some liquid, about 4 minutes. Adjust the heat to medium-low and continue cooking for 15 minutes, stirring and scraping the bottom of the pot occasionally and adjusting the heat as necessary to make sure the onions are cooking gently, not scorching. Add the thyme, ginger, and flour and continue to cook, stirring, until the onions are sticky and golden, about 5 minutes more. Add the cider, broth, and ½ teaspoon salt. Stir and scrape the bottom of the pot to loosen and dissolve the browned bits. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 300°F with a rack in the lower-middle of the oven. Nestle the...