Tea-braised chuck roast with ginger and orange (slow cooker, stove top)

One 3-pound boneless beef chuck roast

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

2 medium yellow onions, halved and then thinly sliced into half moons

2 tablespoons white balsamic vinegar

2 tablespoons finely diced orange zest*

2 tablespoons finely diced peeled fresh ginger root (from a 3-inch piece)

1 teaspoon ground allspice

1 or 2 cups strongly brewed lapsang souchong tea*

You'll need a 5-to-6-quart slow cooker or an Instant Pot (on the slow-cooker setting) here.

Season the beef chuck with salt and pepper on both sides.

Melt the butter in the direct-heatproof insert for your slow-cooker set over medium heat (or in a large skillet). Add the onions and cook 4 to 6 minutes, stirring often, until they begin to brown just a bit at the edges. (If you used a skillet, transfer the sauteed onions to the slow cooker.)

Push the onions to line the inside perimeter of the pot; set the meat in the cleared space. Brown well on both sides, turning once and stirring the onions a couple of times, 8 to 10 minutes. The onions will brown deeply, even blacken in parts.

Sprinkle the vinegar over the onions; use a wooden spoon to dislodge any browned bits.

Sprinkle the orange zest, ginger and allspice over the meat and onions. Pour 1 cup of the tea over everything.

Cover and cook on LOW for 8 hours or until the meat is very tender.

Transfer the chuck roast to a cutting board. Skim as much surface fat as you can from the sauce in the pot. Carve the meat into chunks, transfer to serving bowls, and pour the sauce on top.

* NOTE: Use a vegetable peeler to remove the ginger and orange zest, then dice it (don't mince it), so it holds together during the long cooking. To cook this recipe on the stove top, melt the butter in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Continue with the rest of the directions, but increase the amount of tea to 2 cups. Increase the heat to medium-high; once the mixture comes to a boil, reduce the heat to low, cover and cook for 3 1/2 to 4 hours or until the meat is tender. Proceed with the cutting, fat-skimming and serving directions.

Serves 6

Bruce Weinstein and Mark Scarbrough