Today I fell for the special Whole Foods had on grass-fed chuck roasts. By the time I got my fine roast home, its fate was sealed: I was cutting it up for daube. Boeuf en daube is simply beef stew a la francaise. The meat is marinated in red wine, vegetables and seasonings for up to a day. (This tenderizes and infuses the meat with flavor.) Then, it is slowly braised in a heavy casserole, or daubiere as it is called in France. I love the simplicity of this recipe from Mark Bittman's "How to Cook Everything". Serve it with a fresh green vegetable and steamed or mashed potatoes.
From Mark Bittman's "How to Cook Everything"
8 cloves garlic
2 1/2 pounds beef chuck, cut into 1 1/2 inch cubes
1 onion, chopped
1 large or 2 small carrot(s), peeled and sliced
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
1 T vinegar
1 cup red wine
1/2 t fresh thyme leaves
1 bay leaf
Chopped parsley
Peel and mince 6 cloves of the garlic. Combine in a non-reactive bowl with the rest of the ingredients, except for the parsley and 2 reserved garlic cloves. Cover, refrigerate and marinate beef up to 24 hours.
Place the meat and marinade ingredients into a heavy, covered casserole. Bring to a boil, lower the heat and cover. Simmer gently 1 to1 1/2 hours, until the meat is tender. Uncover the casserole, raise the heat and boil to reduce it slightly, if necessary. Peel and mince the reserved cloves of garlic. Add to the daube and simmer for another 5 minutes. Check the seasonings, adding salt or pepper as necessary. Sprinkle with chopped parsley before serving.
*My daube is currently in the marinating stage. It is with great anticipation I think about the tempting aroma that will fill the kitchen once it starts simmering on the stove. Before that, though, I go to the farmers' market to pick up a delectable and super fresh vegetable. Hmmmm, I still have a loaf of Julia's french bread waiting in the freezer that I made for our New Year's Eve gruyere fondue. Boy, some people have it good!
*Other starches to consider serving with daube are creamy polenta, spaetzle or egg noodles.
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