Robert Sinskey Vineyards

Provencal Beef Daube

There’s nothing like the warm aroma and hearty nature of a Beef Daube to buffer the encroaching chill of winter.

Serves 6-8

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1 tablespoon juniper berries, crushed
2 3”x 1/2” strips orange zest
1 teaspoon black peppercorns, cracked
2 fresh or dried bay leaves
4 bushy fresh thyme sprigs
1 3” fresh rosemary sprig
4 flat leaf parsley sprigs
1 large yellow onion, finely diced
12 large garlic cloves, pressed
3 medium carrots, peeled, cut into 1/2 inch slices
2 medium celery stalks, trimmed & finely sliced
3 pounds of stew beef, cut into 1 1/2 inch cubes
6 slices thick cut applewood smoked bacon,
sliced cross-wise into 1/4” pieces
1 bottle red wine
Kosher salt
All-purpose flour
Extra virgin olive oil
1 cup veal or chicken stock
3 tablespoons tomato paste
1 cup pitted Nicoise olives
1/4 cup finely chopped flat leaf parsley to garnish

1. Place the juniper berries, orange zest, cracked pepper, bay leaf, thyme, rosemary and parsley in the center of a square, single layer of cheesecloth. Draw the corners of the square up to form a pouch and secure with string to make a bouquet garni. Reserve.

2. In a large bowl, gently toss together the celery, onions, garlic, carrots, celery, beef, bacon, and bouquet garni in a large, nonreactive dish. Pour the wine over the mixture and refrigerate it overnight in the refrigerator.

3. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Remove the beef from the vegetable/wine marinade and place in a strainer over a bowl to drain. Reserve the vegetable/wine marinade. Pat the beef dry with paper towels and add the drained liquid back to the reserved vegetable/wine marinade.

4. Season the meat with salt and then dredge in flour. Shake the flour off the beef so it is lightly coated. Heat a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat and add 2 tablespoons of oil.

5. Brown the meat well on all sides. Remove the meat from the pot and place on a plate. Add the stock to the pan to deglaze. Scrape up the browned bits from the bottom of the pan with a spoon. Bring the liquid to a boil, whisk in the tomato sauce and season with salt.

6. Add the beef back to the pot along with reserved vegetable/wine marinade and olives. Return to a boil. Turn off the heat, cover the pot and place it in the preheated oven. Braise until the beef is tender, about 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Check to see if there is too much liquid in the pan after 1 hour of braising. If you want a thicker stew, remove the lid for the remainder of the cooking time.

7. To serve, remove the bouquet garni and garnish with the chopped parsley. Serve with mashed potatoes or wide noodles.