Whether you call this tender, flavorful pepper beef recipe shredded beef, pulled beef or braised beef it’s a delicious beef dinner recipe that will have your family asking for more! For this recipe, Tristin used organic beef chuck from Skiyou Ranch and fresh, seasonal vegetables and herbs from Waxwing Farm.

Skiyou Ranch is a 5th-generation family farm raising grass fed Black Angus 100% Certified Organic beef The farm is nestled along the beautiful Skagit River in Sedro-Woolley, Washington. Owner Tarie Benson and family are dedicated to raising healthy animals in a sustainable environment for their family and yours. Learn more about Skiyou Ranch on our Farmstand Fresh program.

Waxwing Farm is a Certified Organic, small scale, diverse vegetable farm. Owners Arielle Luckmann and Taylor Barker focus on providing exceptional produce directly to their Skagit Valley community. Their farm stand is located within walking or biking distance of downtown Mount Vernon. Learn more about Waxwing Farm on our blog.

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Shishito Pepper Braised Beef

By Tristin Rieken, Fresh Flavorful

Ingredients

• 3 ½ pounds beef chuck, cut into 3-to-4-inch chunks
• 3 tablespoons canola oil, or other cooking oil with high smoke point
• 1 medium white onion, sliced
• 1 medium green bell pepper, diced
• 3 large garlic cloves, chopped
• 3 medium tomatoes, quartered, or substitute 3 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 cup blistered shishito pepper sauce
• ½ cup chicken or vegetable stock, or substitute light beer or water
• Salt and pepper
• ½ teaspoon dried marjoram, or 1 tablespoon fresh marjoram leaves
• ½ teaspoon dried oregano, or 1 tablespoon fresh oregano leaves

Blistered Shishito Pepper Sauce Ingredients

• 1 quart shishito peppers, about 4 cups
• 1 medium white onion, sliced
• 1 tablespoon canola oil
• 2 large garlic cloves
• 1/8 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cumin
• ¼ fresh cilantro, leaves and stems
• ¼ cup flat leaf parsley, leaves and stems
• ½ cup chicken or vegetable stock
• 2 tablespoons white vinegar, or substitute any other light vinegar
• 2 tablespoons lime juice, from about ½ lime
• Salt and pepper

Instructions

Prepare blistered shishito sauce up to 5 days in advance. In a cast iron pan over high heat add shishito peppers to a tablespoon of oil, cook without stirring until beginning to blister, about a minute. Add sliced onion slices and stir fry until peppers are blistered, about 3-4 minutes. Then set aside and allow to cool slightly before cutting the stems off. Add cooled, stemmed blistered shishitos a food processor or high-powered blender with remaining sauce ingredients and process until smooth. Then transfer to jar or other lidded container, cover and refrigerate until ready to use.

When ready to cook, pat beef dry and season with salt and pepper. Place a large heavy bottom skillet or Dutch oven over medium-high heat and add 1 tablespoon oil. Once oil is shimmering carefully add half the beef in a single layer. Brown without stirring, for about a minute or two, then turn and continue to brown. Once meat is evenly seared remove to plate and repeat with another tablespoon of oil and remaining beef chunks, being careful not to cook the meat all the way through but only sear the outside.

Once all beef is browned and removed to plate, reduce heat to medium and add remaining tablespoon of oil, onions, garlic, and bell pepper. Cook until veg is beginning to soften, about 1-2 minutes then add tomatoes and herbs. Stir to cook slightly before carefully adding shishito pepper sauce and stock. Bring mixture to a simmer, stirring to deglaze and pick up any browned bits on the bottom of the pan.

Add browned beef back to pan and stir to coat. Cover and reduce heat to medium low to maintain a steady simmer but not a rapid boil. Simmer on the stovetop for 2 ½ -3 hours or until meat is very fork tender, stirring periodically to prevent scorching and check temperature. Alternately this braised beef recipe can be cooked in a 300-325 degree Fahrenheit oven for the same amount of time, removing the lid and stirring after about an hour.

Once meat is fork tender and sauce is succulent and rich, remove braised beef from oven and serve with remaining blistered shishito pepper sauce, charred tortillas and a good crumbly feta style cheese like Harmony Fields Fleece maker. You can also serve pepper braised beef over rice, pasta, or polenta.