Boeuf En Daube - French Beef Burgundy in the Crock Pot

French Tart's Note:

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.

• Total Time: 25 hrs 30 mins
• Prep Time: 1 hrs 30 mins
• Cook Time: 24 hrs

Ingredients:

Servings: 8

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

Directions:

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!

Reviews

[Arlo]

I've made this twice now, each time taking one or more short-cuts, and it is still excellent! I've had to skip the marinade and drying the orange rind, and I've had to shorten the cooking times and use less bacon, yet it has been an absolute hit each time!

I can't imagine how good it might be if I actually followed all the directions!

[Vicki in AZ]

Tart, you've done it again. I've made many a daube and have never made one close to this good. I've never even had one in a restaurant this good here or in France.

[soursugar]

This was really good. I used the optional sun-dried tomatoes and fresh orange rind (I did not plan far enough ahead to make dried orange peel) and the flavour was wonderful. I also didn't plan far enough ahead to make it 24 hours before serving so I'm sure the left overs will be even better :D