Daube Provençale (Beef in stew)

Here's a very typical provençal dish. 

It looks like a lot to Boeuf Bourguignon. But Bourguignon comes from Bourgogne, a region in the center of France.
While the Daube Provençale... is from Provence ! What an original name ...

The biggest difference is that the meat must marinate the day before. 

I use to make this dish often, for my family or for friends. Even for Christmas. 

This is a very simple and comfort dish. 

Please, don't be scared by the numerous ingredients or the time you'll need. It's true, it's a little bit long, but it cooks alone ! 
When all the ingredient are in the pot, you're quiet for 3 hours ! 

You just have to prepare the marinade the day before. 

Here what you'll need, for 6-8 persons : 

• 2 kg of beef to braise (I use chuck pieces)
• 1 bottle of red wine. No need to take a wonderful wine ! Just do not take the worst ... :)
• 500 grammes of lardons
• 5 carrots
• 4 shallots
• 1 onion
• 2 cloves
• 3 cloves of garlic
• 2 little thyme branches or 1 tablespoon of dried thyme. 
• 3 bay leafs
• The zest of 1/4 orange
• 1 tablespoon of vinagar
• 6-7 tablespoons of olive oil 

Step 1, the day before : 
Cut the beef in large pieces and put it in a big dish.

Step 2 :

Stuck your onion with your 2 cloves.

Sorry for my picture, I was to close ! You can see one clove on the right ! 

Step 3 :

Peel and cut one carrot. Add it in the dish with the orange's zest, the 3 cloves of garlic peeled and flattened, thyme, bay leafs, vinegar, 3 tablespoon of olive oil and of course, the wine ! 

Cover it and let the dish for the night. If you don't have place in your fridge, don't worry, this is a "cold -weather's dish".

If it's cold out, you can let it outside, in your garden or on your balcony.

I've done it each time and nobody went sick or dead !

We're warrior !

... And most of all, three hours of cooking ... Never knew a microbe who could resist to that !

Step 4 : The D-Day !

Here what will look like your meat.

Take the meat out of the marinade and try to drain off the maximum of liquid. 

Keep the marinade with all the ingredients in it ! 

Step 5 : 

In your pot, pour olive oil and make your meat brown a little bit.

Step 6 : 

When it's done, remove the meat ...

 ... and make brown lardons first, 

...and shallots,  

and the 4 carrots cut in pieces. 

Let it for 5 minutes on a medium fire.

Step 7 : 

Finally, add the meat and pour the marinade. Stir all that.

And now, let it cook on a very low fire for 3 hours minimum ! 

If you forget it, no problem.

Just try to think to mix it time to time. 

Those kind of dish is always better when you cook it for the second or third time.

So if your dish is not totally eaten by your guest, you can keep it for the day after without problem at all.  

You can serve it with tagliatelle or any kind of pasta. 

That's what I did. But the picture taken was the one of the day after ....With vegetables for me ... 

Life is unfair ! 

You can make it with potatoes too or rice.

Bon appétit ! 

I'm really, desperately hopeless in pictures ... I'm full of shame ...

 Recapitulative for 6-8 persons : 

• 2 kg of beef to braise (I use chuck pieces)
• 1 bottle of red wine. 
• 500 grammes of lardons
• 5 carrots
• 4 shallots
• 1 onion
• 2 cloves
• 3 cloves of garlic
• 2 little thyme branches or 1 tablespoon of dried thyme. 
• 3 bay leafs
• The zest of 1/4 orange
• 1 tablespoon of vinegar
• 6-7 tablespoons of olive oil 

The day before : 

Cut the beef in large pieces and put it in a big dish.

Stuck your onion with your 2 cloves.

Peel and cut one carrot. 

Add it in the dish with the orange's zest, the 3 cloves of garlic peeled and flattened, thyme, bay leafs, vinegar, 3 tablespoon of olive oil and of course, the wine ! 

Cover it and let the dish for the night. 

The D-Day.

Take the meat out of the marinade and try to drain off the maximum of liquid. 

Keep the marinade with all the ingredients in it ! 

In your pot, pour olive oil and make your meat brown a little bit.

When it's done, remove the meat and make brown lardons first, and shallots and the 4 carrots cut in pieces. 

Let it for 5 minutes on a medium fire.

Finally, add the meat and pour the marinade. Stir all that.

Let it cook on a very low fire for 3 hours minimum !