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Braised Beef Pappardelle

Slow-braised top sirloin roast in a rich Diet Pepsi and beef broth sauce, shredded and tossed with pappardelle, mushrooms, tomatoes, cream, and spinach.

Details

Cuisine American
Servings 6–8
Prep Time 30 minutes (plus 4 hours dry brine)
Cook Time 4 hours 30 minutes
Total Time 5 hours (plus 4 hours dry brine)

Equipment

  • Large Dutch oven or oven-safe pot with lid
  • Large skillet

Ingredients

Braised Beef

Ingredient Imperial Metric
Top sirloin beef roast 2 lbs 900 g
Salt (for dry brine) to taste to taste
Olive oil 2 tbsp 30 ml
Butter 1 tbsp 15 g
Diet Pepsi 1 (12 oz) can 1 (355 ml) can
Beef broth 2 cups 500 ml
Concentrated chicken broth 1/2 cup 100–125 ml
Shallots, chopped 2 2
Garlic, minced 6 cloves 6 cloves
Worcestershire sauce 3–4 splashes 3–4 splashes
Soy sauce 2–3 splashes 2–3 splashes
Dijon mustard 1 tbsp 15 ml
Honey 1 tbsp 15 ml
Tomato paste 1 tbsp 15 ml
Onion powder 1 tsp 1 tsp
Garlic powder 1 tsp 1 tsp
Paprika 1 tsp 1 tsp
Salt and pepper to taste to taste
Bay leaves 4 4
Fresh thyme a few sprigs a few sprigs

Pasta

Ingredient Imperial Metric
Pappardelle 14 oz 400 g
Mushrooms, sliced 1 small pack (~8 oz) 1 small pack (~225 g)
Baby tomatoes, chopped 1 pack (~10 oz) 1 pack (~280 g)
Garlic, minced 3 cloves 3 cloves
Heavy cream 1 cup 240 ml
Baby spinach 1 handful 1 handful
Fresh parsley, chopped to taste to taste
Parmesan, grated to taste to taste
Lemon juice 1 squeeze 1 squeeze

Instructions

  1. Salt the roast generously on all sides and refrigerate uncovered for 4 hours to dry brine. Remove from the fridge and bring to room temperature before cooking.
  2. Heat olive oil in a Dutch oven over high heat. Sear the roast on all sides until deeply browned. Remove and set aside.
  3. Reduce heat to medium. Add butter, chopped shallots, and minced garlic to the same pot. Sauté until fragrant.
  4. Add the Diet Pepsi, Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce, Dijon mustard, honey, tomato paste, beef broth, concentrated chicken broth, onion powder, garlic powder, paprika, salt, and pepper. Stir to combine.
  5. Return the seared roast to the pot. Add bay leaves and fresh thyme sprigs.
  6. Cover with a lid and bake at 325°F (165°C) for 4 hours, until the beef is fork-tender.
  7. While the roast braises, sauté the sliced mushrooms in butter in a separate skillet until golden. Set aside.
  8. Remove the roast from the pot and shred with two forks. Ladle some braising broth over the shredded beef to keep it moist.
  9. Strain the remaining braising broth into a large deep pan or pot and bring to a simmer.
  10. Add the pappardelle and chopped baby tomatoes to the simmering broth. Cook for about 7 minutes until the pasta is al dente.
  11. Stir in the heavy cream, spinach, parsley, and sautéed mushrooms. Cook until the spinach is just wilted.
  12. Add the shredded beef (half the roast works well, save the rest for another use) and toss to combine.
  13. Finish with grated Parmesan and a squeeze of lemon. Serve immediately.

Notes

  • The Diet Pepsi adds sweetness and acidity to the braise without extra sugar — regular cola works too but will be sweeter.
  • Save the other half of the shredded beef for sandwiches, tacos, or another meal.
  • The braising broth doubles as the pasta cooking liquid, so the pappardelle absorbs all that flavor.