Beef Daube Provencal

Beef Daube Provençal


Best Beef Recipe. This classic French braised beef, red wine, and vegetable stew is simple and delicious. It stands above all of our other beef recipes because it offers the homey comfort and convenience of pot roast yet is versatile and sophisticated enough for entertaining. Garnish with chopped fresh thyme. --Recipe by Lia Huber (November 2004)

Preheat oven to 300°.

Heat olive oil in a small Dutch oven over low heat. Add garlic to pan; cook for 5 minutes or until garlic is fragrant, stirring occasionally. Remove garlic with a slotted spoon; set aside. Increase heat to medium-high.

Add beef to pan. Sprinkle beef with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper. Cook 5 minutes, browning on all sides. Remove beef from pan. Add wine to pan, and bring to a boil, scraping pan to loosen browned bits. Add garlic, beef, remaining 1 teaspoon salt, remaining 1/4 teaspoon pepper, carrot, and next 8 ingredients (through bay leaf) to pan; bring to a boil.

Cover and bake at 300° for 2 1/2 hours or until beef is tender. Discard bay leaf. Serve over noodles. Garnish with chopped fresh thyme, if desired.

Note: To make in a slow cooker, prepare through Step 2. Place beef mixture in an electric slow cooker. Cover and cook on HIGH for 5 hours.

Wine note: This satisfying beef stew deserves a rich, earthy, and soulful wine--one with a soft, thick texture. I love the complexity and juiciness of the Kuleto Estate Syrah 2004 from Napa Valley, California ($45), which elevates this stew into a princely dinner. --Karen MacNeil

Yield:  6 servings (serving size: about 3/4 cup stew and 1/2 cup noodles)


2 teaspoons olive oil
12 garlic cloves, crushed
1 (2-pound) boneless chuck roast, trimmed and cut into 2-inch cubes
1 1/2 teaspoons salt, divided
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided
1 cup red wine
2 cups chopped carrot
1 1/2 cups chopped onion
1/2 cup less-sodium beef broth
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary
1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
Dash of ground cloves
1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes, undrained
1 bay leaf
3 cups hot cooked medium egg noodles (about 4 cups uncooked noodles)
Chopped fresh thyme (optional)

CALORIES 367 (31% from fat); FAT 12.8g (sat 4.3g,mono 5.8g,poly 0.9g); IRON 4.3mg; CHOLESTEROL 105mg; CALCIUM 76mg; CARBOHYDRATE 33.4g; SODIUM 776mg; PROTEIN 29.1g; FIBER 3.9g

Cooking Light, SEPTEMBER 2007

Beef and Wine Stew

I think this needs more seasonings, so just experiment.  Walter said it was better the next day.

Beef and Wine Stew

1 lb. bacon, cut into pieces

3 lbs. boneless beef roast, cut into 1-inch cubes or 3 lbs. beef short ribs (see note)

1/2 cup flour, lightly seasoned with salt and black pepper (see note)

1 cup sliced shallots

2 ribs celery, cut into 1-inch pieces

2 large carrots, peeled, cut into 1-inch pieces

8 oz. cremini or white mushrooms, wiped clean, cut in half if large

2 cloves garlic, peeled, minced

1 1/2 cups full-bodied red wine or 12 oz. stout beer

1 bay leaf

Salt and pepper to taste

1 tbsp. cornstarch mixed with 1 tbsp. water

Cooked noodles or rice or garlic mashed potatoes, optional for serving

In a large skillet, cook the bacon until just crisp. Using a slotted spoon, remove the bacon pieces, leaving the drippings in the skillet and keep heated over medium heat. Reserve the bacon pieces for another use. Place the beef cubes in a large bowl and sprinkle with the seasoned flour. Toss to coat the beef cubes lightly with the flour.

Working in batches, brown the beef cubes on all sides in the bacon drippings. Remove to the slow cooker. In the same skillet, sauté the shallots, celery, carrots, mushrooms and garlic until just lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Transfer to the slow cooker. Add the wine, bay leaf, salt and pepper and stir. Cover and cook for 7 to 9 hours on the low setting (or 4 hours on the high setting).

The meat should be falling-apart tender. About 30 minutes before serving, if the sauce needs thickening, stir in the cornstarch mixture. Cover and continue cooking until thickened. Remove the bay leaf, and serve the stew with some sauce, over cooked noodles, cooked rice or mashed potatoes. Serves 8.

Note: If using short ribs, omit flour. Sprinkle short ribs with salt and pepper, and brown on all sides before adding to the slow cooker.

Source: Jonathan John, tested by Susan M. Selasky in the Free Press Test Kitchen