Provencal Beef Stew
User Reviews
5
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Prep Time
9 hrs 13 mins
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Cook Time
9 hrs 13 mins
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Servings
6 -8
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Course
Main Course
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Cuisine
French
Provencal Beef Stew
Description
Provencal Beef Stew starts by dredging sirloin tip roast cubes in a seasoned flour mix, then browning them along with crushed garlic. Red wine is added and reduced to concentrate flavor, followed by beef broth, tomato paste, and anchovy paste, which builds a savory foundation. Carrots, onions, mushrooms, and herbs like rosemary, thyme, and bay leaves create complexity and freshness in the braise.
Cooking low and slow in the oven yields tender beef that absorbs the aromatic herbed sauce. The garlic softens and integrates into the sauce rather than overpowering it, providing subtle savory hints. Mushrooms contribute earthiness and texture. This stew pairs well with rustic bread or creamy mashed potatoes to soak up the sauce, making it a hearty meal for cooler weather.
The recipe notes emphasize that the anchovy paste enhances flavor without a fishy taste and that the variety of mushrooms used can vary by preference. The garlic mellows deeply during the long cooking, becoming almost part of the sauce's body rather than a distinct pungency.
Ingredients
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper freshly ground
- 2-2 ½ pounds sirloin tip roast trimmed and cut into 1 ½ to 2-inch cubes
- 2 tablespoons sunflower oil or other neutral flavored oil
- 12 garlic peeled and crushed slightly, medium cloves
- 2 cups red wine dry
- 2 cups beef broth low sodium
- 1 pound carrot baby
- 1 onion halved and sliced in thin wedges, medium
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 2 teaspoons anchovy paste
- 1 tablespoon rosemary plus more for garnishing, finely chopped fresh
- 1 tablespoon thyme plus more for garnishing, fresh leaves
- 2 bay leaf medium
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 pound mushrooms
Instructions
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- Add the broth, beef, garlic and any remaining flour that's left in the bowl. Stir to combine, then add carrots, onion, tomato paste, anchovie 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.
- To warm daube before serving, preheat oven to 250˚F. Heat daube in oven, covered, for 1 hour or until thoroughly heated through.
- 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 it's own or over mashed potatoes or polenta (our favorite). Garnish with fresh herbs.
Notes
- The twelve garlic cloves soften during slow cooking, blending smoothly into the sauce without overpowering it.
- Anchovy paste enhances depth and savoriness but the final dish has no apparent fish flavor.
- Use any type of mushrooms you prefer, whether button or wild varieties, based on availability.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
5
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