Beef Daube

• servings: 4-6
• active time: 30 minutes
• total time: 3 hours 30 minutes

Ingredients

3 lbs boneless chuck roast, cut into 2 in cubes (or another stewing meat)

2 medium yellow / white onions, quartered

1 lb carrots, cut into rough chunks

1 full 750 ml bottle of red wine (cabernet sauvignon, Syrah, or substitute for white wine for a brighter stew)

4 large garlic cloves

2 tbsp olive oil

2 tbsp tomato paste

2 tbsp all-purpose flour

2 strips of zest from an orange

Small bunch of rosemary and time

3 whole cloves

Salt & pepper

Chopped fresh parsley for garnish

Directions

Season the cubes of beef generously with salt and pepper, and allow them to sit out for around 10 minutes. Dab off any excess moisture with a paper towel.

Heat the 2 tbsp of olive in a large dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add as much of the beef that you can without overcrowding, and allow the pieces to sear, undisturbed, for 6-9 minutes. The underside should develop a dark brown crust that comes away easily from the pan. Sear the other side of the beef a little, then remove and repeat with any remaining meat. Move the pieces around as needed to prevent the fond from burning.

Remove all the meat from the dutch oven and set aside for now. Preheat the oven to 325 F. Reduce the heat to medium and add the carrot and garlic into the dutch oven. Cook until the carrots are glossy and the garlic is lightly browned, 5 minutes stirring often.

Add 2 heaping tbsp of tomato paste and 2 tbsp all purpose flour and stir to combine.

Deglaze with a full 750 ml bottle of red wine, scraping up as much of the fond as you can with a wooden spoon. Then, add the meat and accumulated juices, 2 quartered onions, orange zest, herb bundle, and 3 cloves. Stir briefly to combine and bring the whole mixture to a simmer.

Cover and transfer the dutch oven to a 325 F oven. Cook until the meat will easily pull apart with a fork, about 3 hours.

Remove the whole herbs, cloves, orange zest strips, and optionally the quartered onions before serving. Serve warm with egg noodles or another starchy side. This dish tastes even better the next day.

Notes

A classic French beef stew from Provence. This stew is similar to Beef Bourguignon, but Beef Daube is usually a bit simpler with just beef, wine, herbs, carrots, and onions. This produces a bright tasting sauce that’s best served with a side of egg noodles. “Daube” is a French term to denote the low and slow method of cooking. A peasant meal to elevate simple ingredients into something greater.