Daube Provencal (Beef Stew)

This tender low carb Daube Provencal beef stew dish is one of my personal favorites. You can pair this with egg noodles or couscous or cauliflower rice. Now the traditional recipe does call for Cotes du Rhone or a Zinfandel but I suggest either Amavi Cabernet Sauvignon for smooth full bodied taste that compliments this stew or Seven Deadly Zins for a rich balanced taste that makes this dish a little more flavorful. I served two pots the first time I made this dish, one with the Amavi Cabernet Sauvignon and the other with the Seven Deadly Zin Zinfandel, my guests were split, half like the Amavi and the other half preferred the Zinfandel. I personally enjoy the Zinfandel stew especially the next day, but these are both amazing wines that are perfect for this stew. Note that the original recipe does call for you to use the whole bottle of wine, so I recommend buying two bottles, one for the stew and one for you to sip on while cooking. – Kara, The Accidental Chef

Serves 10

Ingredients:

1 oz of dried porcini mushrooms
1 (3 1/2 pound) boneless chuck-eye roast, trimmed and cut into chunks as shown below
1/2 teaspoons of salt
1 tablespoon of ground pepper
4 tablespoons of grapeseed oil
2 medium onions, sliced
4 large carrots, peeled and sliced
1 can (6 oz) of tomato paste
6 medium garlic cloves, peeled and sliced thin
1/3 cup of unbleached gluten free all purpose flour (can use unbleached all purpose flour too)
1 (750-milliliter) bottle of either 7 Deadly Zins or Amavi Cabernet Sauvignon
1 cup of low-sodium chicken broth
1 cup of water
1 cup of pitted niçoise olives, drained (can use capers if you cannot find the niçoise olives)
4 strips zest from 1 orange
2 anchovy fillets (these add flavor — you will not be able to identify the anchovy so please do not leave these out)
5 springs of fresh thyme
2 bay leaves
1 (14.5 ounce) can of whole tomatoes, drained
2 tablespoons of minced fresh parsley

Directions:

Adjust the oven the rack to the lowest position and turn the oven on to 325 degrees.

Rinse and dry the beef thoroughly and then season with salt and pepper.

Cut into pieces and place a Dutch oven on the stove set to medium high heat.

Add the grapeseed oil and place the meat into the pot.

Cook without moving the pieces until browned, then flip the meat so it’s browned on each side.

Remove the meat and juice from the Dutch oven into another large bowl.

Now add the salt pork, onions, carrots, tomato paste, and garlic to the now empty Dutch oven.

Stir until the onions are a little brown and then add the flour and continue to stir it in for 1 minute.

Add the broth, water, and beef with all the juices.

Slowly pour in the whole bottle of wine and increase the heat to medium high and bring the pot to a simmer.

Add the mushrooms, olives or capers, the orange zest, thyme, and bay leaves evenly. Place the Dutch oven into the oven with the lid partially covering the pot for 3 hours.

Remove the Dutch oven pot from oven. Discard the salt pork rind, thyme, orange zest strips, and bay leaves.

Add the tomatoes and stir.

Using two forks, gently pull apart the bigger pieces of meat into two pieces. Then using a spoon or fat separator cup, scoop out the top layer of fat on the surface, top with parsley and serve!

THE ACCIDENTAL CHEF BLOG