France

Daube Beef Stew From France

Daube Beef Stew of France
A Classic French Dish

Daube beef stew is a classic French dish that has been enjoyed for centuries. This hearty, flavourful stew is made with tender chunks of beef, aromatic vegetables, and a rich red wine sauce that is sure to warm you up on a cold day.

Making the Doube Beef Stew

To make daube beef stew, start by browning the beef in a large Dutch oven until it is nicely browned on all sides. Remove the beef from the pot and set it aside while you sauté onions, carrots, and garlic until they are soft and fragrant. Return the 

beef to the pot along with a  bottle of red wine, beef broth, tomato paste, and a variety of herbs and spices. Simmer the stew on low heat for several hours until the beef is fall-apart tender and the flavours have melded together. Serve the daube beef stew with crusty bread or over a bed of creamy mashed potatoes for a truly satisfying meal.

boeuf-en-daube
A Slow Cooking Dish

What makes daube beef stew so special is the slow cooking process, which allows the flavours to develop and intensify over time. It’s a dish that requires patience and attention to detail, but the end result is well worth the effort.

A Classic French Dish

If you’re looking for a hearty and comforting meal that will transport you straight to the French countryside, give daube beef stew a try. It’s a classic dish that is sure to become a favourite in your household.

How to Cook the Daube Beef Stew
Ingredients:

¼ cup all purpose flour
2 teaspoons salt
½ teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
2-2 ½ pounds sirloin tip roast trimmed and cut into 1 ½ to 2-inch cubes
2 tablespoons sunflower oil or other neutral flavoured oil
12 medium garlic cloves* peeled and crushed slightly
2 cups dry red wine
2 cups low sodium beef broth
1 pound baby carrots
1 medium onion halved and sliced in thin wedges
2 tablespoons tomato paste
2 teaspoons anchovies paste**
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh rosemary plus more for garnishing
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves plus more for garnishing
2 medium bay leaf
1 tablespoon butter
1 pound mushrooms

Instructions:
  1. Preheat oven to 250F°. Combine flour, salt and pepper in a medium-size bowl. Add beef to the bowl and toss with your hands until beef is coated.
  2. Heat oil in a large Dutch oven over medium low heat. Add garlic and sauté until soft and pale golden. Remove to a large plate or bowl. Increase heat to medium.
  3. Add half of the beef. Distribute so beef is in a single layer. Cook for several minutes without stirring, till beef is nice and brown on the underside, then flip and brown on the other side. Remove beef with a slotted spoon to the plate with the garlic and repeat with second half. When beef is nicely browned remove to the plate.
  4. Add the wine and bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Scrape the sides and bottom of the pan with a metal spoon or spatula to loosen the frond (the brown bits). Continue to simmer for 10-15 minutes or until wine mixture is reduced to about ½ cup.
  5. Add the broth, beef, garlic and any remaining flour that’s left in the bowl. Stir to combine, and then add carrots, onion, tomato paste, anchovies paste, fresh herbs and bay leaf. Bring to a boil then cover and place in the preheated oven. Bake for 3 ½ to 4 hours or until beef is very tender. Remove bay leaves and set daube aside to cool. Refrigerate overnight or for as long as 2-3 days.
  6. To warm daube before serving, preheat oven to 250˚F. Heat daube in oven, covered, for 1 hour or until thoroughly heated through.
  7. While daube is warming, melt butter in a medium size pan. Add mushrooms, ½ teaspoon of kosher salt and a generous grind of black pepper. Sauté until golden brown. (After several minutes of cooking, mushrooms will look watery. Just keep cooking till all of the liquid is evaporated and mushrooms turn golden.) Add mushrooms to daube, just before serving.

Serve daube in shallow bowls, on its own or over mashed potatoes or polenta. Garnish with fresh herbs.

Recommended Wine for Daube Beef Stew from France

Daube is a traditional French beef stew from Provence, slow-cooked with red wine, vegetables, and aromatic herbs. The wine you choose for both cooking and pairing should complement its rich, hearty flavours. Here are some excellent wine recommendations:

For Cooking Daube

Use a robust and affordable red wine since the flavour intensifies during the long cooking process:

Grenache from Spain Wine
Grenache-based wines 

These wines are fruity and aromatic, matching the Provencal herbs in the dish.

Cotes du Rhone
Côtes du Rhône

A versatile, budget-friendly wine with flavours of red fruit, pepper, and herbs.

Syrah and Shiraz Wine from France
Syrah/Shiraz 

Offers deep, rich flavours and spice, ideal for enhancing the stew.

For Pairing with Daube

Select a wine that mirrors the flavours of the stew and complements its richness:

Chateauneuf du Pape
Châteauneuf-du-Pape (Southern Rhône)

Full-bodied with a blend of Grenache, Syrah, and Mourvèdre, offering dark fruit, spice, and herbaceous notes.

Gigondas Red
Vacqueyras Red
Gigondas or Vacqueyras

Rustic Rhône wines with structure and earthy tones, ideal for hearty dishes like Daube.

Bandol Provence Red
Bandol (Provence)

A Mourvèdre-dominant wine with robust tannins, blackberry flavours, and a touch of Provençal herbs.

Languedoc Reds

Affordable blends with similar characteristics to Rhône wines, such as Corbières or Minervois.

Malbec Wine from Argentina
Cahors (Malbec)

Earthy, tannic, and packed with dark fruit flavours, this pairs wonderfully with the richness of beef.

Bordeaux Right Bank Red
Bordeaux (Right Bank)

Merlot-dominant Bordeaux wines like Saint-Émilion or Pomerol have softer tannins and lush fruit, balancing the stew’s heartiness.

Tips

For authenticity, aim for wines from southern France or regions with similar profiles.

Choose a wine for cooking and serving from the same region for harmonious flavours.

Enjoy your Daube and its perfect wine pairing!

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