Garlic Ginger Beef

Linda Owens wrote back. She wrote a letter, not an email — a handwritten letter on plain white paper in handwriting that was small and careful, the handwriting of a woman who writes deliberately. She said she was glad I was coming. She said Derek had told her about me, that I was the quietest soldier in the platoon and the most reliable. She said she had things she wanted to say to me and things she wanted to hear from me and that when I was in Salina, if I had time, she'd like to have me to dinner. She said she made a good pot roast. I said to myself: of course she does.

I've been carrying that letter around for two days. It's in my jacket pocket right now. I take it out occasionally and read it and put it back. There's something about a mother who lost her son writing to the man who was there when it happened — something that is both the most natural thing and the most enormous thing — and I can't fully hold it yet. I'm going to keep it in my pocket until I've sat with it long enough to hold it right.

The calving is winding down. Twenty calves on the ground, two more heifers close. Good calf crop shaping up.

Tom Whelan came by Wednesday to check on the horses. He's slowing down — seventy-three now and I can see it in the way he moves, a little more deliberate, a little more careful with his knees on uneven ground. I drove him home afterward because it was getting dark and I didn't want him driving after dark. He said, "I don't need a chauffeur." I said, "I know. I wanted to drive." He let me. We talked in the truck about the farrier business and he said things about continuity that I'll think about for a long time.

Linda said she makes a good pot roast, and I believe her. There’s a certain kind of woman who says something like that without bragging — she just means it’s the thing she knows how to do right, the thing she’d put in front of someone she wanted to take care of. I’m not in Salina yet, but I’ve been thinking about that dinner since I read the letter, and this garlic ginger beef — slow, savory, built around a tough cut that goes tender with time — is the closest I could cook to what I imagine she means.

Prep Time: 15 min | Cook Time: 2 hrs 30 min | Total Time: 2 hrs 45 min | Servings: 6

Ingredients

2 1/2 lbs beef chuck roast, cut into 2-inch chunks
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon fresh ginger, grated
3 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1/2 cup beef broth
1 medium onion, sliced
2 carrots, cut into 1-inch pieces
Salt and black pepper to taste
2 green onions, sliced (for garnish)

Instructions

Season the beef. Pat the beef chunks dry with paper towels and season generously with salt and black pepper on all sides.
Sear the meat. Heat vegetable oil in a large Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat. Working in batches, sear the beef chunks for 3–4 minutes per side until deep brown. Remove and set aside.
Build the aromatics. Reduce heat to medium and add the onion to the same pot. Cook for 3 minutes until softened. Add the garlic and ginger and cook for 1 minute more, stirring constantly, until fragrant.
Deglaze and combine. Pour in the beef broth and soy sauce, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Stir in the sesame oil, brown sugar, and red pepper flakes.
Braise low and slow. Return the seared beef to the pot along with the carrots. Bring to a gentle simmer, cover, and cook over low heat for 2 to 2 1/2 hours, until the beef is fork-tender and the braising liquid has reduced slightly.
Finish and serve. Taste and adjust seasoning. Serve over steamed white rice or with crusty bread, garnished with sliced green onions.

Nutrition (per serving)

Garlic Ginger Beef — The Kind of Dinner a Good Woman Cooks for You