Daube de Boeuf á La Provençale (French Beef Stew with Red Wine)

I know I have mentioned in the past that Kevin does not not share my love for all things slurpy.

He is my carnivore. 

He wants things thick, rich, and meaty. 

He is so demanding!

Just kidding. He lives with a food blogger, how demanding can he be? 

But everyone once in a while I really try to think of a dish that would make him a happy guinea pig camper.

This was one of those occasions. 

I knew that there were a few of my past recipes he really enjoyed. My Pork Stew and my version of Tyler Florence's Ultimate Beef Stew are two that come to mind. 

So I knew if I could give him a meaty, rich, thick stew I could pretty much count on no complaints from his side of the table.

Now, what could I do to make the stew even better for me?

WINE!!

I mean how can you go wrong with a stew that has beef, bacon, and a whole dang bottle of wine in it??

In the past I had seen several recipes for this stew on the internet and in some recipe books. I decided to take that info and try to dial in what I felt would be the best for our tastes. Hoping that Kevin would be happy with the results.

I was wrong, 

he wasn't happy.

He was thrilled!

Yay me!!

I just wish I had chosen family dinner night to make this stew. 

I guess I will just have to make it again.

Oh darn!!

Daube de Boeuf á La Provençale (French Beef Stew with Red Wine)

2 strips of orange rind, each about 2 1/2 inches long and 1/2 inch wide
1 teaspoon black peppercorns
4 whole cloves
8 sprigs fresh thyme
2 bay leaves
3 lb stew beef, cut into 1 1/2-inch cubes
1 (750-ml) bottle of hearty red wine like Burgundy
8 slices of thick cut bacon, chopped
3 carrots, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch slices

2 stalks celery, cut into 1/2 slices
2 large onions, thinly sliced
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 cup beef stock

3 tablespoons tomato paste
1 teaspoon salt
4 ounces pitted niçoise olives, chopped
Fresh thyme leaves, chopped for garnish

Place the orange rind, peppercorns, cloves, thyme, and bay leaves, onto a double layer of cheesecloth. Tie the cheesecloth into a bundle to make a bouquet garni, and set it aside.

In a large, non-reactive dish, toss together the celery, onions, garlic, carrots, beef, bacon, and bouquet garni. Pour the wine over the mixture and refrigerate it for 12 to 24 hours.

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.

Remove the meat from the marinade, reserving the vegetables and wine marinade, pat dry and toss with the flour. Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a large dutch oven or stock pot. Brown the beef on all sides. Remove the beef from the skillet and deglaze the pan with the beef stock and tomato paste, scraping up the browned bits from the bottom of the pan.

Return the meat to the pot. Add the vegetable/wine mixture, bouquet garni, salt, and olives. Cover, and braise the beef for 2 1/2 to 3 hours, until the beef is tender. In 2 hours check to see if there is too much liquid in the pan. If you want a thicker stew, remove the lid for the remainder of the cooking time.

Remove the bouquet garni and serve stew over mashed potatoes, rice, or pasta. Garnish with chopped thyme leaves.

Serves 6 to 8.

ENJOY!!