Slow Cooked Shredded Beef with Tomatoes

This simple, yet amazingly tasty, slow cooked shredded beef makes the ideal wholesome, midweek meal for the whole family. Serve with a side of mashed potato, rice or pasta, and you’re good to go.

This delicious slow cooked shredded beef is the perfect post-festivity dish.

Happy New Year, everyone! I don’t know about you, but for me, this time of year I crave goodness. Healthy bowls of steaming soup, thick stews and tonnes of fresh vegetables and fruit. It’s because my body is in protest. It’s screaming, “Help me! Help me!” I’ve eaten my weight in chocolate and scoffed way too many pastries and other gluten-packed treats.

Although I rarely eat regular flour (hence the name and premise of my blog), I do find myself falling down a rabbit hole of enticing breads and pastries during the holidays, opting for shop bought over homemade. My poor, gluten sensitive stomach pays the price, sadly. Enter this simple, yet super delicious, wholesome slow cooked shredded beef, packed with rich tomatoes, herbs and spices.

My Crockpot is perfect for when I am feeling lazy but want filling sustenance for the whole family. It’s the ideal weekday meal. Literally all you have to do is quickly sear your meat, chop your veggies and away you go.

Do I need to sear the meat?

In my honest, untrained-chef opinion, I would say no. For me, the convenience of using a slow cooker is that you throw everything in and let it work its magic. Having to use (and clean) an extra pan feels like unnecessary work for a midweek meal. However, the chef in the family feels it a must. Many experts agree with him. There are several reasons why searing (or browning) the meat first is a good idea. Firstly, the caramelized outer part of the meat will enhance the flavour of the dish. It also gives a colour dimension that is missing with meat that has not been browned first. Lastly, searing the meat means that you can drain off some of the fat that would end up in your stew. If you’re a little unsure of how do brown the meat, The Kitchn has a great article about how to sear meat properly.

What can I serve with slow cooked shredded beef?

The dish has loads of delicious sauce. Therefore, it needs something to help soak up all that goodness. Bread is a perfect side, such as my cheesy focaccia and cheddar cheese and garlic bread. If you want to skip the cheese element, go for a healthier wholemeal spelt seeded soda bread.

Potatoes are a great way to soak up the delicious sauce, so whip up a batch of roast potato, prepare some jacket (baked) potatoes, or try my British classic, leftover cheese and potato pie.

Alternatively, a side of steaming rice, noodles or pasta would also go so well. There really isn’t a side that wouldn’t work well with this dish.

More easy slow cooked meals

Using a slow cooker is a great way to prepare meals that you can let get to work while you go out to work (or take care of your family). Here are some of my favourites:

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