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Beef stewed with prunes

Braised Beef with Prunes

Delicious, appetizing, melt-in-your-mouth tender — a special meal any day of the week! Beef braised with prunes turns out incredibly soft and practically falls apart, thanks to the long, slow braise. And the flavor is elegantly sweet: the meat soaks up the taste of the prunes and spices as it cooks.

Maria

Recipe author

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Composition / ingredients

Servings:

Beef (boneless)

500

Water (or slightly more)

300

Prunes (pitted)

200

Tomato paste

Vegetable oil

Ground black pepper

Salt

Translation table of volumetric measures

Nutrients and energy value of the composition of the recipe

By weight of the composition:

Proteins 37 % 11 g

Fats 27 % 8 g

Carbohydrates 37 % 11 g

154 kcal

GI: 100 / 0 / 0

Cooking method

Step 1:

How do you braise beef with prunes? Gather your ingredients. If your meat was frozen, thaw it first by moving it from the freezer to the bottom shelf of the fridge. Sweet, pitted prunes work best. For spices I used just salt and pepper, but feel free to add any others you like. You can swap the tomato paste for fresh tomatoes that have been blanched, peeled, and puréed.
Step 2:

Wash the beef and be sure to pat it dry with a paper towel — too much moisture keeps it from searing. Cut it into medium cubes.
Step 3:

Heat the vegetable oil in a skillet. Add the beef and cook over medium heat, stirring with a spatula, until all the released juices have cooked off.
Step 4:

Add the tomato paste and stir it in quickly.
Step 5:

Pour in water so it almost covers the meat. Bring it to a boil, then lower the heat to a minimum. Braise the meat, covered, for about 1 hour.
Step 6:

Prep the prunes. Wash them well and pat them dry. Large pitted prunes are best — they're sweeter and less tart.
Step 7:

Add the prunes to the skillet and stir. Braise another 10–20 minutes until the meat is fully tender — it should be soft. Add a little boiling water if needed. There should be a bit of gravy left in the pan at the end. The braising time depends entirely on your beef — its quality and which cut it came from.
Step 8:

Right at the end, season the beef and prunes with salt and pepper. Stir everything and take the pan off the heat. The dish really doesn't need a side — the prunes fill that role beautifully. But if you like, serve it with mashed potatoes or pasta.

This braised beef with prunes has it all at once — a gentle tartness, the sweetness of the plums, and a barely-there hint of warm cinnamon.
Keep in mind that how you thaw your ingredients has a lot to do with the quality and flavor of the finished dish. It's worth learning the best way to defrost and the mistakes to avoid.
You can swap the beef for any other meat you prefer. Just keep in mind the cooking time, flavor, and calorie count will change. Pork and lamb are usually fattier than beef, while chicken breast and turkey are leaner. And the timing depends not only on the type of meat, but also on which cut you use and how old or young it is.
For cooking, use neutral-tasting filtered or bottled water. Tap water can give the dish an off, characteristic taste.