Rescue Roast® Hot Chocolate Braised Beef

Slow-cooked beef in a rich, glossy sauce with a subtle chocolate depth that nobody will see coming.

After discovering how well Rescue Roast® Hot Chocolate works in savoury dishes, we decided to push the idea a little further.

This Rescue Roast® Hot Chocolate Braised Beef is slow-cooked until tender, with onions, garlic, tomato, herbs and stock creating a deep savoury sauce.

A small amount of Rescue Roast® Hot Chocolate powder is added near the beginning, not to make the dish sweet, but to add richness, colour and a subtle roasted flavour.

The finished dish is comforting, hearty and just unusual enough to make people ask what the secret ingredient is.

Ingredients

• 1.2 kg beef chuck or stewing beef, cut into large pieces
• 2 tablespoons cooking oil
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, crushed
• 2 carrots, roughly chopped
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 2 tablespoons cake flour
• 3 cups beef stock
• 1 tablespoon Rescue Roast® Hot Chocolate powder
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 teaspoon dried rosemary
• 2 bay leaves
• Salt and black pepper to taste
• Fresh parsley for serving

Method

1. Preheat your oven to 160°C.

2. Pat the beef dry with paper towel and season generously with salt and black pepper.

3. Heat the oil in a large ovenproof pot or casserole dish over medium-high heat.

4. Brown the beef in batches until deeply coloured on all sides.

Do not overcrowd the pot. Browning properly is one of the most important steps in building flavour.

Transfer the browned beef to a plate and set aside.

5. Reduce the heat slightly and add the onion and carrots.

Cook for approximately 5 minutes, or until they begin to soften.

6. Add the garlic and cook for another 30 seconds.

7. Stir in the tomato paste and cook for approximately 1 minute.

8. Sprinkle over the flour and stir well.

9. Slowly pour in the beef stock while stirring.

10. Add the Worcestershire sauce, thyme, rosemary and bay leaves.

11. Stir in 1 tablespoon of Rescue Roast® Hot Chocolate powder.

12. Return the beef and any resting juices to the pot.

13. Bring everything to a gentle simmer.

14. Cover with a lid and transfer the pot to the oven.

15. Cook for approximately 2½–3 hours, or until the beef is extremely tender.

Finish the Sauce

Once the beef is tender, carefully remove the pot from the oven.

If the sauce is thinner than you would like, remove the lid and simmer gently on the stovetop for a few minutes until it reduces.

Taste and adjust the seasoning with salt and black pepper.

The sauce should be savoury, rich and deeply beefy.

The Rescue Roast® Hot Chocolate should sit quietly in the background.

Why Chocolate Works with Beef

Chocolate and beef have more in common than you might expect.

Both can carry deep, roasted and slightly bitter flavour notes.

Used carefully, Rescue Roast® Hot Chocolate can add:

• Richer colour
• Deeper savoury flavour
• A subtle roasted character
• Extra body to the sauce

The key is restraint.

You are seasoning the sauce with chocolate, not making chocolate sauce for steak.

Add Mushrooms

For an even deeper flavour, add approximately 250 g brown mushrooms.

Brown them after the onions and carrots, then continue with the recipe as normal.

Mushrooms pair particularly well with the earthy, roasted notes in the sauce.

Rescue Roast® Coffee & Hot Chocolate Braised Beef

For an even richer version, replace approximately ½ cup of the beef stock with strong brewed Rescue Roast® coffee.

Coffee and chocolate both enhance the roasted flavours in the beef and help create an even darker, more complex sauce.

Slow-Cooker Version

Brown the beef first, then soften the onion, carrots and garlic in the same pan.

Transfer everything to a slow cooker and add the remaining ingredients.

Cook on:

• Low: 7–8 hours
• High: 4–5 hours

The beef should be tender enough to pull apart easily with a fork.

How to Serve It

Serve your Rescue Roast® Hot Chocolate Braised Beef with:

• Creamy mashed potatoes
• Roasted potatoes
• Polenta
• Rice
• Fresh crusty bread

Spoon plenty of the rich sauce over the top and finish with fresh parsley.

Perfect for a Sunday Lunch

This is the kind of dish that rewards patience.

Put it in the oven, let it cook slowly, and allow the beef to become incredibly tender while the sauce develops.

It is ideal for cold weekends, family lunches or whenever you want something comforting and a little different.

250 g or 500 g?

Rescue Roast® Hot Chocolate is available in both 250 g and 500 g bags.

The 250 g bag is perfect for mugs of Hot Chocolate and experimenting with a few Rescue Roast® Academy recipes.

But if Hot Chocolate is now appearing in your desserts, breakfasts and slow-cooked dinners...

The 500 g bag may officially have earned a permanent place in the pantry.

The Secret Ingredient Nobody Expects

Slow-cooked beef.

Rich gravy.

Herbs and vegetables.

One small spoonful of Rescue Roast® Hot Chocolate.

Sometimes the best ingredients are the ones nobody would think to add.