Daube is a French term for a wine based stew, in this case made with beef, and cooked for a long time in a tightly sealed pot.
Although delicious right out of the pot, like most stews it is best to cook it ahead and allow the flavors to meld over night.
It differs from most stews in that the beef marinates over night in a combination of red wine, vegetables and herbs prior to cooking. The reserved marinade is then added to the stew along with tomatoes and mushrooms, and beef broth and cooked at 300 degrees for 4 hours.
This results in a rich stew with layers of flavor. It can be served with noodles, rice or mashed potatoes. Some good French bread and a glass of red wine will complete the meal.
Boeuf En Daube ( adapted from Good Old Food by Irena Chalmers)
Serves 6 to 8
Marinade:
2 cups red wine
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 large carrots, sliced
2 medium-size onions, sliced
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 bay leaves
1 teaspoon salt (kosher is good)
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
½ teaspoon dried sage
Stew:
3 pounds top round of beef, cut into 1-inch pieces (I used beef chuck roast)
½ cup all-purpose flour
¼ pound bacon, cut into small pieces (I used apple-wood smoked bacon)
4 medium tomatoes, quartered
2 cups mushrooms, quartered
1 and ½ cups beef broth
Combine the marinade ingredients in a large bowl.
Add the beef, cover with transparent wrap and marinate in the refrigerator for 8 hours or overnight, turning the meat 3 or 4 times.
Heat the oven to 300 degrees.
Strain the meat through a sieve, reserving the liquid and the vegetables from the marinade.
Pat the meat dry with paper towels and dredge each piece with the flour.
Put the bacon in a large heavy skillet and cook over moderate heat until it is browned and the fat is rendered. Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon. Add the reserved onions and carrots to the skillet and cook for about 5 minutes until the onions are translucent.
Remove the vegetables with a slotted spoon.
Increase the heat to high and add the beef to the skillet, a few pieces at a time, turning them until browned on all sides. Take each batch of meat from the skillet before adding the next and drain on paper towels. Add a little oil if necessary.
Put the bacon in the bottom of a 4-to5-quart casserole and cover with the browned beef and vegetables.
Add the tomatoes and mushrooms and pour in the beef broth.
Pour the reserved marinade into the skillet and cook over high heat for 5 to 6 minutes until reduced by half, scraping the sides and bottom of the pan to loosen any browned particles.
Add the reduced marinade to the casserole, cover and cook in the oven for 4 hours, adding more stock after 1 or 2 hours if the stew looks dry.
This is a rich, thick stew.
