Named after its dark, sweet sauce, posta negra is a classic Colombian dish made by braising beef in a flavorful liquid seasoned with panela sugar and spices. For our version, we call for a 5-pound beef chuck roast; it's a fat-rich cut, so trim it well before tying the roast. In the end, the meat will be superbly tender and succulent. In Colombia, the dish might be served with fried plantains, yucca fritters and a simple salad; we liked this rich beef with an easy pico de gallo and/or mashed potatoes.
Ingredients
1 5-pound Boneless Beef Chuck Roast, Trimmed And Patted Dry
Kosher Salt And Ground Black Pepper
2 Tablespoons Grapeseed Or Other Neutral Oil
1 Large Yellow Onion, Chopped
10 Medium Garlic Cloves, Peeled
2 Tablespoons Tomato Paste
½ Cup Packed Dark Brown Sugar
2 Cinnamon Sticks
1 Tablespoon Whole Allspice
2 Teaspoons Black Peppercorns
1 Teaspoon Whole Cloves
1 Cup Dry Red Wine
¼ Cup Worcestershire Sauce
1 Cup Pitted Prunes, Coarsely Chopped
1 Tablespoon Cornstarch
3 Tablespoons Red Wine Vinegar
Method
Heat the oven to 300°F with a rack in the lower-middle position. Using kitchen twine, tie the roast at 2-inch intervals. Season on all sides with salt and pepper.
In a large Dutch oven over medium-high, heat the oil until shimmering. Add the onion and ½ teaspoon salt, then cook, stirring, until the onion is well browned, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the tomato paste and cook, stirring constantly, until it begins to brown, about 2 minutes. Stir in the brown sugar, cinnamon, allspice, peppercorns and cloves. Pour in the wine, bring to a simmer and cook until thick and syrupy, 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in the Worcestershire sauce and prunes.
Place the roast in the pot, then turn to coat with the liquid. Cover and bake until a paring knife inserted into the thickest part meets no resistance, 3½ hours. Transfer the roast to a shallow baking dish and loosely tent with foil. Let rest for 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, set a fine mesh strainer over a medium bowl. Pour the contents of the pot into the strainer and press on the solids with a rubber spatula to extract as much liquid and pulp as possible; scrape the underside of the strainer to collect the pulp. Discard the solids. Let the liquid and pulp settle for about 5 minutes (you should have about 1½ cups), then skim off the fat. Return the defatted liquid and pulp to the Dutch oven and bring to a simmer over medium.
In a small bowl, stir together 3 tablespoons water and the cornstarch. Whisk into the simmering liquid and cook, stirring constantly, until lightly thickened, about 2 minutes. Stir in the vinegar. Taste and season with salt and pepper.
Transfer the roast to a cutting board. Remove and discard the twine. Cut the meat against the grain into ½-inch slices and transfer to a platter. Pour about 1 cup of the sauce over the meat. Serve with the remaining sauce on the side.
Tip: Don’t carve the roast without first letting it rest. Resting makes the meat easier to cut into neat slices.