February Recipe of the Month

I have to give all the credit for this month’s recipe to my husband, Colton. The daube stew is a favorite from his family that follows a recipe by cookbook author Molly Stevens. While it takes more effort and time than previous recipes I have shared, it is worth the commitment - and leftovers are even better than your first bite! You can serve it multiple ways, but we prefer the stew on top of pasta.

Daube (pronounced dohb) Beef Stew

with Red Wine and Carrots

Serves 6

Ingredients

3-pound boneless beef chuck roast, cut into chunks
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 slices thick bacon, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
8-10 shallots, thinly sliced (about 2 cups)
2 tablespoons brandy (like Cognac)
2 tablespoons tomato paste
2 to 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped, about a tablespoon
2 teaspoons herbs de Provence
2 cups hearty red wine (like Côtes du Rhône)
1 14 1/2-oz can whole, peeled tomatoes
4 strips orange zest, peel 2-inch pieces with a vegetable peeler
1-2 pounds thin carrots, peeled and cut into 2-inch chunks
1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Instructions

Position a rack in the lower third of the oven. Preheat oven to 325º.
Prepare the beef. Using your hands and a small knife, pull the roast apart along its natural seams. Trim off thick layers of fat. Cut into 2-inch cubes and arrange on paper-towel to dry. Heat the oil and bacon together in a Dutch oven over medium heat, stirring as needed till the bacon is browned, but not crisp. Remove the bacon and transfer to a plate. Season the beef with salt and pepper and brown in batches. Brown about one-third of beef at a time in a single layer in Dutch oven making sure to cook all sides until they are a rich brown (about 10 minutes). Transfer cooked beef to a plate.
Prepare wine and vegetable base. Remove all but 1 tablespoon of the fat in the pan (add a bit of olive oil if your pan is dry). Set to medium heat. Add the shallots, season with salt and pepper and cook till soft (about 1 minuted). Add the brandy and cook utill it evaporates. Add the tomato paste, garlic, and herbs de Provence, stirring to combine and sauté for one minute. Add the wine, stirring and scraping the bottom with a wood spoon to dislodge caramelized drippings, and bring to a boil. Add the liquid from the tomatoes and then add tomatoes by crushing each one with you hand over the pot. Add the orange zest, and return the beef, bacon and accumulated juices to the pot. Finally, add the carrots, bring to a simmer, cover, and place into the oven.
Cook the stew, stirring every 45 minutes, until the meat is fork-tender, 2 to 3 hours. Before serving, skim off any fat, taste for salt and pepper. Stir in the parsley (saving some for garnish)
Serve on top of pasta (wide and flat, like pappardelle), potatoes, or rice - or with a side of thick french bread.