RFCJ RECIPE ARCHIVE
Posted by : Karen Selwyn Beef Stewed in Wine: Daube de Boeuf - meat
This recipe is my adaptation of Julia Child's recipe from MASTERING THE ART OF FRENCH COOKING Vol. 1. I am sharing this because it is so similar to a recipe for Beef Stew in Wine from MAMA LEAH'S JEWISH KITCHEN. Along with that recipe, author Leah Fischer writes, "This may not sound very Jewish, but don't say that to a French Jew!" Whether this is French Jewish cuisine or merely kosher-compliant, it is delicious and easy to prepare. Karen Selwyn * * * * * * * 3 lbs. stew beef, cut in cubes 1 3/4 cups dry red wine 2 tablespoons olive oil 2 teaspoons salt 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper 1/2 teaspoon thyme 3 cloves garlic, mashed 2 cups thinly sliced onions 2 cups thinly sliced carrots 2 1/2 cups peeled seeded diced fresh tomatoes or canned tomatoes 1 1/2 cups sliced fresh mushrooms 1-2 cups intense beef stock Combine the beef, red wine, olive oil, salt, pepper, thyme, garlic, sliced onions, sliced carrots, and diced tomatoes in a large non-reactive bowl. Cover and marinate in the refrigerator a minimum of 6 hours, preferably overnight. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Transfer the contents of the bowl to a casserole or Dutch oven. Add the sliced mushrooms. Stir to combine the mushrooms with the beef-vegetable mixture. Add enough stock to almost cover the contents of the casserole. Bring to a simmer on the top of the stove. When the contents comes to the point of simmering, cover the casserole and transfer to the oven. Continue cooking for 3-4 hours until the meat pierces easily with a fork. (If necessary reduce the setting of the oven to 325 if the liquid in the casserole bubbles too vigorously.) Serve with boiled potatoes or noodles. Notes: The original recipe calls for removing each piece of meat from the marinade, rolling it in some flour sprinkled across a plate, shaking off the excess and returning it to the casserole before the simmer and bake-in-the oven steps. Experiment by preparing the recipe once without this step to see how think the sauce gets. If you think thickening is required the next time you prepare the recipe, use Julia Child's technique or use the following alternative. Omit the olive oil from the marinade. In every other way, follow the recipe until you have cooked the Daube for approximately two hours. At the two hour point, begin to make a roux to thicken the sauce. Heat the 2T olive oil from the list of marinade ingredients in a small saucepan Add 1 1/2 Tablespoons flour to the hot oil. Cook over a low heat, for 3-4 minutes, stirring often. Use a ladle to remove some (approximately two ladle-fulls) of the cooking liquid from the casserole. Add this liquid to the olive oil-flour mixture. Stir well to remove lumps. You will have a fairly thick glop. Add this glop to the casserole, stirring well to dissolve and blend. Continue cooking for the remaining time in the recipe.
