Beef Daube Provencal (French Beef Stew)

This classic French beef stew has become a top 10 favorite meal for my family.  It is a hearty, company-worthy dish with rich, deep flavor that will have your guests raving.  Serve it with a side of egg noodles, rice or mashed potatoes.  Delicious! 

I have included two ways of cooking this: In a slow cooker and in the oven. 

Ingredients:

Serves 8 to 10
Adapted from CookingLight

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 10 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 lb boneless chuck roast, trimmed and cut into 2-inch cubes 
• 1 1/2 tsp salt, divided
• 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 1 c dry red wine
• 2 c chopped carrots
• 1 1/2 c onion, chopped 
• 1/2 c beef broth
• 1 (14 oz) can diced tomatoes
• 1 tbsp tomato paste
• 1 tsp fresh rosemary, chopped
• 1 tsp fresh thyme, chopped 
• 1/2 tsp orange zest, grated
• Pinch ground cinnamon
• Dash ground cloves
• 1 bay leaf

Directions:

If you are cooking this in the oven, preheat it to 300 degrees.

Heat oil in a large dutch oven over low heat. Add the garlic and cook for 5 minutes. Remove the garlic with a slotted spoon and set aside.

Increase the heat to medium-high.  Add the beef and sprinkle with 1/2 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper.  Cook for 5 minutes, browning on all sides.  Remove the beef and set aside.  I brown the beef in batches so I don't overcrowd the pan.  

Add the wine and bring it to a boil, scraping up the brown bits from the bottom.   Stir in the garlic, beef, and remaining salt and pepper.  Add the carrots, onion, beef broth, diced tomatoes, tomato paste, rosemary, thyme, orange zest, cinnamon and cloves.  Stir well to combine and bring the mixture to a boil.  Add the bay leaf.

Cover and bake for 2 1/2 hours in the oven.  If you are cooking in a slow cooker, pour the contents into your slow cooker and cover.  Cook on high for 4 to 5 hours or on low for 8 to 10 hours.  

Remove the bay leaf.  Taste and season with salt and pepper, to taste.

Enjoy!

OLD POST FROM 2010:

"Don't ever forget where you came from.  Otherwise, you'll never remember where you are going"

My freezer is slowly becoming more and more packed. I nearly cleaned it out before vacation last year in August and now it's time to make a conscious effort to do it again. Yesterday, I started thawing out a pound of flank steak from the freezer (one item from the freezer down, about a million to go). I came across this recipe on CookingLight.com and it looked and sounded so wonderful and those who commented had nothing but amazing things to say. Let me just take a second and say YUM! 

Madelyn Rating:"Good!"                                             Daddy Rating:  "Good!"