Braised Beef with Pears and Fresh Ginger

A luxurious slow-cooked dish combining tender beef neck bones with fresh ginger, seasonal pears, and aromatic herbs in a rich wine-based sauce. This hearty braised dish features a beautiful blend of savory meat with subtle sweet notes from the pears.

8 servings

4 hr 42 min

Published October 4, 2025

Ingredients

•6 pounds meaty beef neck bones
•¼ cup olive oil
•5 cups chopped onions
•2½ cups diced celery
•2 cups diced carrots
•3 tablespoons chopped peeled fresh ginger
•6 cloves garlic cloves
•1½ cups dry red wine
•10 sprigs Italian parsley
•6 sprigs thyme
•5 sprigs rosemary
•4 leaves Turkish bay leaves
•1½ teaspoons juniper berries
•8 cups beef broth
•1 tablespoon all purpose flour
•2 whole Bartlett pears
•halved
•cored
•each half cut into 4 wedges

Cooking Instructions

1.
Preheat broiler. Stand neck bones (close together for support), meat side up, in row in heavy large roasting pan. Brush meaty tops with oil; sprinkle with salt and pepper.
5 min
2.
Broil until meat is deep brown, turning pan for even cooking, about 12 minutes. Transfer bones to rimmed baking sheet. Reduce oven temperature to 350°F.
12 min
3.
Place roasting pan over 2 burners. Add 1/4 cup oil, onions, celery, and carrots. Sauté over medium-high heat until tender and beginning to brown, about 20 minutes. Transfer 1 cup vegetable mixture to small bowl and reserve for sauce.
20 min
4.
Add ginger and garlic to pan; stir 30 seconds. Add wine and boil until reduced to glaze, about 5 minutes. Return neck bones to pan, arranging flat side down in single layer. Nestle in herb sprigs, bay leaves, and juniper berries. Top with pig's feet, cut side down. Pour broth over and bring to boil.
5 min
5.
Cover roasting pan tightly with foil and place in oven. Braise until meat is very tender and falling off bones, about 3 hours. Using tongs, transfer neck bones to rimmed baking sheet to cool. Discard pig's feet.
180 min
6.
Strain pan juices into large bowl, pressing on solids in strainer to release all juices; discard solids. Spoon all fat off surface of pan juices, reserving 1 tablespoon fat for sauce. Return juices to roasting pan. Boil over 2 burners until reduced to 3 1/2 cups, about 20 minutes, occasionally stirring up browned bits. Transfer juices to large pot. Add reserved 1 cup vegetable mixture. Stir 1 tablespoon reserved fat and flour in small bowl to smooth paste; whisk into sauce. Boil until reduced to 3 1/2 cups, about 12 minutes. Add pears to sauce. Simmer pears, uncovered, until tender, about 8 minutes.
40 min
7.
Pull all meat off bones; cut meat into bite-size pieces. Sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper. Mix meat into sauce in pot. DO AHEAD: Stew can be made 1 day ahead. Cool 1 hour; cover and refrigerate. Rewarm before continuing.
15 min
8.
Spoon stew into large bowl. Sprinkle with chopped parsley and serve.
5 min

Ingredients

•6 pounds meaty beef neck bones

•¼ cup olive oil

•5 cups chopped onions

•2½ cups diced celery

•2 cups diced carrots

•3 tablespoons chopped peeled fresh ginger

•6 cloves garlic cloves

•1½ cups dry red wine

•10 sprigs Italian parsley

•6 sprigs thyme

•5 sprigs rosemary

•4 leaves Turkish bay leaves

•1½ teaspoons juniper berries

•8 cups beef broth

•1 tablespoon all purpose flour

•2 whole Bartlett pears

•halved

•cored

•each half cut into 4 wedges

Cooking Instructions

Preheat broiler. Stand neck bones (close together for support), meat side up, in row in heavy large roasting pan. Brush meaty tops with oil; sprinkle with salt and pepper.

5 min

Broil until meat is deep brown, turning pan for even cooking, about 12 minutes. Transfer bones to rimmed baking sheet. Reduce oven temperature to 350°F.

12 min

Place roasting pan over 2 burners. Add 1/4 cup oil, onions, celery, and carrots. Sauté over medium-high heat until tender and beginning to brown, about 20 minutes. Transfer 1 cup vegetable mixture to small bowl and reserve for sauce.

20 min

Add ginger and garlic to pan; stir 30 seconds. Add wine and boil until reduced to glaze, about 5 minutes. Return neck bones to pan, arranging flat side down in single layer. Nestle in herb sprigs, bay leaves, and juniper berries. Top with pig's feet, cut side down. Pour broth over and bring to boil.

5 min

Cover roasting pan tightly with foil and place in oven. Braise until meat is very tender and falling off bones, about 3 hours. Using tongs, transfer neck bones to rimmed baking sheet to cool. Discard pig's feet.

180 min

Strain pan juices into large bowl, pressing on solids in strainer to release all juices; discard solids. Spoon all fat off surface of pan juices, reserving 1 tablespoon fat for sauce. Return juices to roasting pan. Boil over 2 burners until reduced to 3 1/2 cups, about 20 minutes, occasionally stirring up browned bits. Transfer juices to large pot. Add reserved 1 cup vegetable mixture. Stir 1 tablespoon reserved fat and flour in small bowl to smooth paste; whisk into sauce. Boil until reduced to 3 1/2 cups, about 12 minutes. Add pears to sauce. Simmer pears, uncovered, until tender, about 8 minutes.

40 min

Pull all meat off bones; cut meat into bite-size pieces. Sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper. Mix meat into sauce in pot. DO AHEAD: Stew can be made 1 day ahead. Cool 1 hour; cover and refrigerate. Rewarm before continuing.

15 min

Spoon stew into large bowl. Sprinkle with chopped parsley and serve.

5 min