Asado Negro (Venezuelan-Style Roast Beef)
- 4 pounds beef chuck, tied for a roast
- 4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
- 3 stalks of celery, washed, peeled and thinly sliced
- 1 leek, white and light green parts only, thinly sliced and washed
- 2 white onions, peeled, cut in half and sliced thinly in half rounds
- 3 dried bay leaves
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 1/2 cup Worcestershire sauce
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup red wine (like cabernet sauvignon or an inexpensive Chilean wine)
- 2 cups white wine vinegar
- 3 tablespoons brown sugar
- 2 large green bell peppers, cut in half inch cubes
- 8 medium white button mushrooms, sliced thinly
- 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 5 parsley sprigs, chopped
Using a sharp paring knife, slice incisions on all sides of roast and insert the slices of garlic.
Combine celery, leeks, onions, bay leaves, olive oil and Worcestershire sauce in a sealable plastic bag. Add roast, pressing out as much air as possible and seal bag.
Place in refrigerator for at least three hours, or ideally overnight.
In a deep pot over medium high heat, combine sugar and 1/2 cup water, stir infrequently and cook for about 15 minutes or until a dark caramel color is reached.
Carefully add wine, vinegar and brown sugar (hot caramel will splatter) and cook, stirring just until there are no sugar lumps in mixture, about 5 minutes. Set aside.
Preheat the oven to 375°F.
Remove beef from marinade (reserving marinade) and season with salt and pepper all over. Heat an oven safe medium-sized pot with a lid (large enough for roast and vegetables) over high heat.
Add butter and vegetable oil. Sear meat over high heat until brown on all sides. Remove to a plate.
Remove beef from marinade (reserving marinade) and season with salt and pepper all over.
Heat an oven safe medium-sized pot with a lid (large enough for roast and vegetables) over high heat.
Add butter and vegetable oil. Sear meat over high heat until brown on all sides. Remove to a plate.
Remove from the oven, baste beef with juices, reduce oven temperature to 275°F and cook for another 1 1/2 hours, basting every 30 minutes.
Remove from the oven and let rest for 20 minutes. Place roast on cutting board and slice into ½-inch thick pieces.
Place all cooked vegetables (but not sauce) in an ovenproof dish and arrange beef slices over them and set aside.
Taste sauce, which should be of an almost syrupy consistency. If not, place in a pan and reduce over low heat until it reaches a syrupy consistency.
Taste and re-season with salt and pepper if needed. Remove bay leaves from sauce pour over beef slices.
Return to the oven for 30 minutes at 275°F. Sprinkle with freshly chopped parsley and serve immediately.
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- 4 pounds beef chuck, tied for a roast
- 4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
- 3 stalks of celery, washed, peeled and thinly sliced
- 1 leek, white and light green parts only, thinly sliced and washed
- 2 white onions, peeled, cut in half and sliced thinly in half rounds
- 3 dried bay leaves
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 1/2 cup Worcestershire sauce
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup red wine (like cabernet sauvignon or an inexpensive Chilean wine)
- 2 cups white wine vinegar
- 3 tablespoons brown sugar
- 2 large green bell peppers, cut in half inch cubes
- 8 medium white button mushrooms, sliced thinly
- 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 5 parsley sprigs, chopped