A delicious & heady combination of good red wine, prime beef, smoked bacon, dried orange, shallots, garlic & cepes - dried forest mushrooms! A traditional French recipe with a twist - cook it in the crock pot for ease and convenience. Wonderful in the depths of winter, but equally lovely with crisp salads,crusty bread & baked potatoes during the summer - the addition of orange making it a lighter beef dish than the more usual Beef Daube or Beef Burgundy. An excellent choice for a family reunion or celebration, as it is VERY well behaved! It also freezes well and is a great pie filling idea.

Ingredients

8 serv.

prime beef↗5 lbs
cubed & trimmed of fat
shallot↗1 lb
peeled
garlic cloves↗4 -6
peeled & chopped finely
fresh thyme↗1
bay leaves↗2 -4
Burgundy wine↗750 ml
olive oil↗1 -2 tablespoon
lardons↗1 lb
Smoked Bacon pieces
dried cepes↗1⁄2 ounce
soaked for 1 hr
pieces dried orange peel↗6 -8
see method
soft brown sugar↗1 tablespoon
sea salt↗
fresh ground black pepper↗
cornflour↗1 -2 tablespoon
for thickening
cognac↗2 tablespoons
sun-dried tomatoes, drained & chopped finely (optional)↗2 -4
(8 ounce) can chopped tomatoes (optional)1

Step-by-step instructions

1
Marinade the beef with the herbs, shallots & garlic over night in the bottle of red wine.
2
Drain and put the wine to one side.
3
In a large skillet or fryng pan, sear & brown the beef pieces over a high heat in the olive oil until nutty & brown. Do not overcrowd the pan!
4
Place browned beef into the crock pot or cast iron Le Creuset Casserole Dish.
5
Fry the lardons or chopped bacon pieces until crispy & golden brown. Drain & add to the beef.
6
Brown the shallots & garlic in the bacon fat & add to the beef & bacon.
7
Add all the other ingredients, except the cornflour, to the crock pot including the reserved wine.
8
(Add the tinned tomatoes & sun dried tomatoes at this stage too if you are using them.).
9
Cook on automatic or High for 4 hours and Low for up to 6 hours.
10
(For conventional cooking - pre-heat oven to 175 degs C or 325 degs F or gas mark 3 and cook SLOWLY for approximately 4 to 6 hours; check towards the end, the meat should be extemely tender - you MUST not be tempted to cook it quicker, it will be tough!).
11
Towards the end, blend & mix the cornflour with a couple of spoons of the stock in the crock pot & add to the beef, stirring well. It should not be TOO thick but just like a glaze or thickened jus. Add the cognac at this stage as well - sirring into the daube.
12
Serve with Green Beans, Mashed, Steamed or Pureed Potatoes during the colder months OR with a selection of salads, crusty French bread & Pasta during the warmer months. The excess sauce can be used or saved as a fantastic gravy or stock later!
13
THIS IS BETTER MADE 24 HOURS BEFORE EATING!
14
Freezes beautifully - I always make a large batch and then freeze some.
15
NOTE:If you cannot buy sun dried orange peel, make your own, it's VERY easy! Peel some oranges with a swivel head vegetable peeler or parer, be careful not to peel the pith. Spread outside on a rack in the full sun and leave to dry for about 2-4 hours. Weather permitting of course - otherwise dry in an airing cupboard or a very LOW oven overnight.Store in an airtight jar for up to 2 years.
16
If you are really stuck - just grate some fresh orange peel into the daube, it will not have the same intensity as dried peel, but it will work!

Source: food.com

Original recipe ↗

Want to try this recipe?

The Prepka App Is Ready

All your recipes at your fingertips — in the Progressive Web App

Open the App