NZ Herald
  • Home
  • Latest news
  • Herald NOW
  • Video
  • New Zealand
  • Sport
  • World
  • Business
  • Entertainment
  • Podcasts
  • Quizzes
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Travel
  • Viva
  • Weather

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • New Zealand
    • All New Zealand
    • Crime
    • Politics
    • Education
    • Open Justice
    • Scam Update
    • The Great NZ Road Trip
  • Herald NOW
  • On The Up
  • World
    • All World
    • Australia
    • Asia
    • UK
    • United States
    • Middle East
    • Europe
    • Pacific
  • Business
    • All Business
    • MarketsSharesCurrencyCommoditiesStock TakesCrypto
    • Markets with Madison
    • Media Insider
    • Business analysis
    • Personal financeKiwiSaverInterest ratesTaxInvestment
    • EconomyInflationGDPOfficial cash rateEmployment
    • Small business
    • Business reportsMood of the BoardroomProject AucklandSustainable business and financeCapital markets reportAgribusiness reportInfrastructure reportDynamic business
    • Deloitte Top 200 Awards
    • Deloitte Fast 50
    • Generate wealth weekly
    • CompaniesAged CareAgribusinessAirlinesBanking and financeConstructionEnergyFreight and logisticsHealthcareManufacturingMedia and MarketingRetailTelecommunicationsTourism
  • Opinion
    • All Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Editorials
    • Business analysis
    • Premium opinion
    • Letters to the editor
  • Politics
  • Sport
    • All Sport
    • OlympicsParalympics
    • RugbySuper RugbyNPCAll BlacksBlack FernsRugby sevensSchool rugby
    • CricketBlack CapsWhite Ferns
    • Racing
    • NetballSilver Ferns
    • LeagueWarriorsNRL
    • FootballWellington PhoenixAuckland FCAll WhitesFootball FernsEnglish Premier League
    • GolfNZ Open
    • MotorsportFormula 1
    • Boxing
    • UFC
    • BasketballNBABreakersTall BlacksTall Ferns
    • Tennis
    • Cycling
    • Athletics
    • SailingAmerica's CupSailGP
    • Rowing
  • Lifestyle
    • All Lifestyle
    • Viva - Food, fashion & beauty
    • Society Insider
    • Royals
    • Sex & relationships
    • Food & drinkRecipesRecipe collectionsRestaurant reviewsRestaurant bookings
    • Health & wellbeing
    • Fashion & beauty
    • Pets & animals
    • The Selection - Shop the trendsShop fashionShop beautyShop entertainmentShop giftsShop home & living
    • Milford's Investing Place
  • Entertainment
    • All Entertainment
    • TV
    • MoviesMovie reviews
    • MusicMusic reviews
    • BooksBook reviews
    • Culture
    • ReviewsBook reviewsMovie reviewsMusic reviewsRestaurant reviews
  • Travel
    • All Travel
    • News
    • New ZealandNorthlandAucklandWellingtonCanterburyOtago / QueenstownNelson-TasmanBest NZ beaches
    • International travelAustraliaPacific IslandsEuropeUKUSAAfricaAsia
    • Rail holidays
    • Cruise holidays
    • Ski holidays
    • Luxury travel
    • Adventure travel
  • Kāhu Māori news
  • Environment
    • All Environment
    • Our Green Future
  • Talanoa Pacific news
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Property Insider
    • Interest rates tracker
    • Residential property listings
    • Commercial property listings
  • Health
  • Technology
    • All Technology
    • AI
    • Social media
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
    • Opinion
    • Audio & podcasts
  • Weather forecasts
    • All Weather forecasts
    • Kaitaia
    • Whangārei
    • Dargaville
    • Auckland
    • Thames
    • Tauranga
    • Hamilton
    • Whakatāne
    • Rotorua
    • Tokoroa
    • Te Kuiti
    • Taumaranui
    • Taupō
    • Gisborne
    • New Plymouth
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Dannevirke
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Levin
    • Paraparaumu
    • Masterton
    • Wellington
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Blenheim
    • Westport
    • Reefton
    • Kaikōura
    • Greymouth
    • Hokitika
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
    • Wānaka
    • Oamaru
    • Queenstown
    • Dunedin
    • Gore
    • Invercargill
  • Meet the journalists
  • Promotions & competitions
  • OneRoof property listings
  • Driven car news

Puzzles & Quizzes

  • Puzzles
    • All Puzzles
    • Sudoku
    • Code Cracker
    • Crosswords
    • Cryptic crossword
    • Wordsearch
  • Quizzes
    • All Quizzes
    • Morning quiz
    • Afternoon quiz
    • Sports quiz

Regions

  • Northland
    • All Northland
    • Far North
    • Kaitaia
    • Kerikeri
    • Kaikohe
    • Bay of Islands
    • Whangarei
    • Dargaville
    • Kaipara
    • Mangawhai
  • Auckland
  • Waikato
    • All Waikato
    • Hamilton
    • Coromandel & Hauraki
    • Matamata & Piako
    • Cambridge
    • Te Awamutu
    • Tokoroa & South Waikato
    • Taupō & Tūrangi
  • Bay of Plenty
    • All Bay of Plenty
    • Katikati
    • Tauranga
    • Mount Maunganui
    • Pāpāmoa
    • Te Puke
    • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua
  • Hawke's Bay
    • All Hawke's Bay
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Havelock North
    • Central Hawke's Bay
    • Wairoa
  • Taranaki
    • All Taranaki
    • Stratford
    • New Plymouth
    • Hāwera
  • Manawatū - Whanganui
    • All Manawatū - Whanganui
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Manawatū
    • Tararua
    • Horowhenua
  • Wellington
    • All Wellington
    • Kapiti
    • Wairarapa
    • Upper Hutt
    • Lower Hutt
  • Nelson & Tasman
    • All Nelson & Tasman
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Tasman
  • Marlborough
  • West Coast
  • Canterbury
    • All Canterbury
    • Kaikōura
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
  • Otago
    • All Otago
    • Oamaru
    • Dunedin
    • Balclutha
    • Alexandra
    • Queenstown
    • Wanaka
  • Southland
    • All Southland
    • Invercargill
    • Gore
    • Stewart Island
  • Gisborne

Media

  • Video
    • All Video
    • NZ news video
    • Herald NOW
    • Business news video
    • Politics news video
    • Sport video
    • World news video
    • Lifestyle video
    • Entertainment video
    • Travel video
    • Markets with Madison
    • Kea Kids news
  • Podcasts
    • All Podcasts
    • The Front Page
    • On the Tiles
    • Ask me Anything
    • The Little Things
  • Cartoons
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / Eat Well / Food News

Lean braised beef recipes

Nadia Lim
By
Nadia Lim

Food writer and author

VIEW PROFILE

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save
    Share this article

From a basic recipe for braised beef, Nadia Lim creates tacos and a pasta dish that are delicious, lean, healthy and couldn’t be easier.

Slow cooking is very forgiving — it’s hard to get it wrong, so even non-cooks can produce great results. The best ingredients for slow cooking are often the most economical — cheaper cuts of meat such as chuck, shoulder, brisket, blade, shin, etc produce the best results.

The common carrot, celery and onion are all the vegetables you need, and inexpensive legumes (chickpeas, beans and lentils) are a great way to bulk out the meal and make it go further. Then you just need some stock and, if you like, some wine or beer.

Technique-wise, it couldn’t be simpler. Place meat, vegetables, herbs and liquid in a slow cooker or casserole dish with a tight-fitting lid (to make sure all the moisture is kept inside), cover and leave to its own devices — no babysitting required.

After a few hours at a low (150-160C) temperature, the connective tissue in the meat breaks down, producing soft tender meat that shreds or breaks apart easily. I used to think you needed to brown your meat first before adding it to a stew, but I can confidently say after many comparisons of using browned versus not- browned meat, that it doesn’t make a difference. So save yourself the time and just add it in raw.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Slow-cooked pulled chipotle beef

I like using brisket for this recipe as it "pulls'' apart really well due to its long muscle fibres. However using any other cheaper cut of beef is fine too, blade, chuck, shin etc. You can also use other types of meat — pork shoulder (a very cheap cut) is terrific, especially for tacos. This recipe is so easy you won't believe how good the end result is for so little effort. And this basic recipe can be used to create a few different dishes over a few days, turning a slow-cooked meal into a quick one for a mid-week dinner. Serves 4-6

800g-1kg lean beef brisket
330ml dark beer
1 cup good quality beef stock
¼ cup chipotle sauce
1 Tbsp soy sauce
1 Tbsp brown sugar
1 onion, peeled and chopped
1 cinnamon stick
1 dried chilli, optional

  1. Heat oven to 160C.
  2. Cut brisket into large 5cm pieces. Place in a heavy-based casserole dish with a tight-fitting lid and add beer, beef stock, chipotle sauce, soy sauce, brown sugar, onion, cinnamon stick and dried chilli (if using). There should be just enough liquid to cover the meat. Cover with a lid and cook in oven for 3-4 hours or until the meat is soft and shreds easily. Note: if your lid does not fit tightly, cover dish with tinfoil before placing the lid on top – this will help to create a seal. Check on the meat after about 2 hours — if it is looking a little dry, top it up with a little more stock and beer.
  3. Once cooked, remove beef from the dish and place on a chopping board. Pour the liquid into a saucepan and boil for about 5 minutes to reduce a little. Meanwhile, use two forks to shred the meat, pulling the long fibres away from each other.
  4. Mix shredded meat with the reduced liquid — the meat will soak up the sauce. Serve with tortillas (see recipe below), or with pasta (see recipe below), or with simple mashed potato and greens.

Pulled chipotle beef and chickpea fettuccine

Turn the basic recipe for pulled beef into a rich tomato and beef ragu with chickpeas — delicious, warm and comforting served on ribbons of fresh pasta. Serves 6

1 finely diced carrot
2 sticks finely diced celery
1 clove crushed garlic
2 tsp chopped thyme leaves
1 drizzle of olive oil
3 tbsp of tomato paste
1 can of crushed tomatoes
1 can of drained chickpeas
Some pulled chipotle beef
A few handfuls of baby spinach
Fettuccine pasta, to serve

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
  1. Cook the carrot, celery, garlic, and thyme in a fry pan with olive oil for 5-8 minutes, or until onion is soft.
  2. Add tomato paste, crushed tomatoes, drained chickpeas and pulled chipotle beef. Simmer for 5-10 minutes until hot through and sauce has slightly reduced.
  3. Stir through spinach until wilted. Season to taste with salt and pepper, and serve with fettuccine pasta.

Pulled chipotle beef tortillas with apple slaw

These tacos are lean and healthy, but so tasty! Serves 6

1 apple, cut into thin matchsticks
2-3 cups finely shredded cabbage
1/2 cup chopped coriander
Juice of 1-2 limes
Natural thick Greek yoghurt or sour cream, to serve
Pulled beef, to serve
Corn tortillas, to serve

  1. To make the slaw, combine the apple, cabbage, coriander and lime juice.
  2. To serve, place some pulled beef, slaw and a dollop of yoghurt/sour cream on each warmed tortilla, roll up and eat.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest Recipes

Why your winter meals need these flavour-boosting tricks
Food News

Why your winter meals need these flavour-boosting tricks

Why tinned tomatoes are the unsung hero of your pantry
Food News

Why tinned tomatoes are the unsung hero of your pantry

Why cottage cheese is making a surprising comeback, spurred by social media
Food News

Why cottage cheese is making a surprising comeback, spurred by social media

Slow-cooking secrets: How to master flavourful meals with ease
Food News

Slow-cooking secrets: How to master flavourful meals with ease

Soba to spaghetti: Why chilled noodles are the perfect summer meal
Food News

Soba to spaghetti: Why chilled noodles are the perfect summer meal

Cold brew, hot summer: How to make the perfect iced coffee at home
Food News

Cold brew, hot summer: How to make the perfect iced coffee at home

Latest Food News

Why your winter meals need these flavour-boosting tricks
Food News

Why your winter meals need these flavour-boosting tricks

Why tinned tomatoes are the unsung hero of your pantry
Food News

Why tinned tomatoes are the unsung hero of your pantry

Why cottage cheese is making a surprising comeback, spurred by social media
Food News

Why cottage cheese is making a surprising comeback, spurred by social media

Premium
Inside NZ's booming functional drink craze for gut and brain health
Food News

Inside NZ's booming functional drink craze for gut and brain health

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from Food News

Why your winter meals need these flavour-boosting tricks
Food News

Why your winter meals need these flavour-boosting tricks

Simple tips and tricks to make winter food taste fresh, bright and anything but beige.

22 Aug 11:00 PM
Why tinned tomatoes are the unsung hero of your pantry
Food News

Why tinned tomatoes are the unsung hero of your pantry

16 Aug 02:00 AM
Why cottage cheese is making a surprising comeback, spurred by social media
Food News

Why cottage cheese is making a surprising comeback, spurred by social media

07 Aug 11:00 PM


NZ’s convenience icon turns 35
Sponsored

NZ’s convenience icon turns 35

02 Sep 09:23 PM
NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • NZ Herald e-editions
  • Daily puzzles & quizzes
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Subscribe to the NZ Herald newspaper
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP