Braised beef shoulder

cooked11 Jan 2026

“Best version so far was the one with cinnamon Jack Daniel's.”

Ingredients

• 1 kgbeef shoulder
• 400 mlchicken bouillon
• 50 mlcinnamon Jack Daniel's
• 1.5 tbspgochujang
• 1 tbspharissa powder
• cumin, slightly more than planned
• 1 tspMexican oregano
• apple cider vinegar, a small splash
• salt and black pepper
• lard, for searing
• 1 tbspmaple syrup, for the finishing sauce
• butter, for the finishing sauce

Steps

1. 1clean and lightly season the beef, then sear it hard on every side in lard
2. 2mix the bouillon, whiskey, gochujang, harissa, cumin, oregano, vinegar and remaining aromatics
3. 3add the hot liquid to the pot, cover tightly and braise at about 130–145 °C for 3.5–5 hours
4. 4check with a fork; it is ready when it pulls apart easily
5. 5shred the beef and reduce some braising liquid separately until it coats the meat
6. 6finish the reduced sauce with maple syrup and butter, then toss the beef through it

Tweaks

• —the settled favorite used cinnamon whiskey, then added roasted garlic, smoked paprika, onion powder, maple syrup and butter while reducing
• —the oven was started late and ran hot, but the beef still became pull-apart tender

Variations

• birria-style consommé

  • —400–450 ml braising liquid → about 800 ml chicken bouillon — add 2 tbsp ACV, 1 tbsp brown sugar, 1 tbsp soy, 1 tbsp Worcestershire, 1 tsp fish sauce and 1–2 tbsp gochujang
  • —barbacoa sauce → strained consommé — reserve most of the liquid for dipping; reduce about 200–300 ml with butter for the meat

• Hovězí plec s bramborem

  • —spiced whiskey braise → white wine, mustard and bouillon — add 2 onions, garlic, tomato paste, 1 tbsp mustard, 200–300 g carrots and 400–500 g potatoes