For me, there is something inherently elegant about a classic French dish like this one. No matter what time of year, this rustic Provençal beef stew is welcomed and enjoyed by all! It is one of my favorite dishes to make on a Sunday afternoon for a casual dinner, but is elegant enough to serve for a dinner party if you choose.
Cubes of beef chuck roast are browned in a Dutch oven to start and then removed so that the veggies can be cooked down; a mixture of onions, garlic, carrots and celery cook in a touch of oil along with the fragrant mixture of herbes de Provence and some tomato paste for richness. Next comes the wine, peeled pearl onions, beef stock and the browned beef. Cover your pot and finish this stew in a low-heat oven (covered) for about 2 hours. The meat will be fall-off-the-bone tender and the veggies very soft; the entire kitchen will be smelling amazing while this French Daube is cooking. I like to finish the dish off with the classic touches of briny Nicoise olives and some chopped fresh parsley. Best when served over egg noodles, creamy polenta, or even garlickly mashed potatoes…
(To view this recipe, click on the blue title of the blog post above*)
Elegant Beef Daube
Ingredients:
- 2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
- 2 lb. cubed beef chuck roast
- salt and pepper
- pinch of crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 large yellow onion, diced
- 4 cloves of garlic, thinly sliced
- 3 carrots, cut diagonally into 1/2- inch rounds
- 2 celery stalks, chopped
- 1 teaspoon herbes de Provence
- 1 Tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 cup dry red wine
- 3-4 cups beef stock (enough to cover the ingredients in the pot*)
- 1 1/2 cups (about 10 oz.) peeled pearl onions (frozen or fresh and blanched to peel*)
- 1/2 cup Nicoise olives
- Freshly chopped parsley, for serving
Directions:
- Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Add 1 Tablespoon of olive oil to a Dutch oven. Heat over medium-high heat and add in the cubes of beef. Season with 1/2 teaspoon of salt and pepper; cook, flipping the cubes once, until the beef is browned on all sides; this takes about 10 minutes. Remove the beef from the pan and add in the remaining olive oil.
- Next, add the crushed red pepper flakes, onions, garlic, carrot and celery, along with another 1/2 teaspoon of salt, a grinding of black pepper, and the herbes de Provence. Cook for another 10 minutes, stirring often, until the onions begin to soften. Add in the tomato paste and stir to coat the veggies; next, add in the wine and cook an additional 5 minutes over medium heat.
- Add the browned beef and enough stock to the pot to cover the ingredients. Stir together; cover your Dutch oven and place in the preheated oven.
- Cook for 2 to 2 1/2 hours or until the beef is super tender. Remove from the oven, stir in the olives and let sit for 15 minutes. Serve the stew over cooked polenta, mashed potatoes or noodles, with a sprinkling of fresh parsley.
Tagged: beef, beef chuck, beef Daube, beef stew, beef stock, black olives, carrots, celery, cubed beef, Daube, egg noodles, French, fresh parsley, garlic, herbes de provence, mashed potatoes, Nicoise olives, olives, onions, pearl onions, polenta, Provencal, Provence, red wine, rustic, stew, tomato paste
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