Recipe: Daube provençale

Name: Daube provençale
Prep time: 45 min
Cook time: 240 min
Total time: 285 min
Yield: 6 servings
Cuisine: French
Ingredients: A beautiful daube à la provençale; 3.25 lb (1.5 kg) of beef chuck or braising beef cut into cubes of 3 or 4 cm per side.; 1.75 oz (50 g) of dried porcini mushrooms (or other boletus mushrooms); 4 peeled carrots; 3 peeled onions; 1 celery stalk; 6 tomatoes; 4 garlic cloves, degerminated, crushed and chopped; thyme and bay leaf; 1.7 cups (40 cl) of Côtes du Rhône wine; 1.7 fl oz (5 cl) of marc; olive oil; salt and ground pepper

By chef patrick Asfaux 4.9/5 (61 reviews) · 🍳 52 made it

Prep 45 min

Cook 240 min

Total 4h45

Servings 6 serv.

Here is a mythical recipe from the south of France, enough to transport you to the land of cicadas for the duration of a meal Plan for 3.5 hours of slow oven cooking until the meat falls apart. Dried porcini mushrooms are essential: they add a depth that meat alone cannot achieve. Serve with fresh buttered tagliatelle and grated Parmesan, just like in southern France.

Ingredients for 6 servings

Adjust for

servings

A beautiful daube à la provençale
3.25 lb (1.5 kg) of beef chuck or braising beef cut into cubes of 3 or 4 cm per side.
1.75 oz (50 g) of dried porcini mushrooms (or other boletus mushrooms)
4 peeled carrots
3 peeled onions
1 celery stalk
6 tomatoes
4 garlic cloves, degerminated, crushed and chopped
thyme and bay leaf
1.7 cups (40 cl) of Côtes du Rhône wine
1.7 fl oz (5 cl) of marc
olive oil
salt and ground pepper

Step-by-step directions

1 Soak your dried porcini mushrooms in lukewarm water.

2 Slice your onions, carrots and celery stalk to 1 cm thickness

3 Plunge your tomatoes with a small cross marked with a knife for 1 minute in boiling water. You will then be able to peel them easily (remove the skin), then remove the seeds and cut them into large dice.
4In a large ovenproof pot (daubière) put 5 tablespoons of olive oil, when it is very hot brown the pieces of meat then, when they are well browned, remove them with a slotted spoon and set aside.

4 In the same pot, over low heat, sweat the onions, garlic, carrots, celery, 1 teaspoon of fresh thyme and 1 bay leaf. after a few minutes add the tomatoes and let sweat covered for 10 minutes.

5 Turn on your oven to 150° (gas mark 5)

6 Then add the marc and red wine and 1.25 cups (30 cl) of water (or cold broth). bring to a boil, adjust the seasoning and pour in the pieces of meat already browned with the rendered juice.

7 Place in the middle of the oven for 2 hours 30 minutes.

A chef's advice

Daube provençale is that Sunday autumn and winter dish when you have time and want it to carry you through two meals. Historically it's a braised classic from the south, born when humble cuts needed techniques that demanded patience. Dried porcini mushrooms are a regional addition: Provençals forage them in autumn, dry them, and they became essential to the recipe. Timing is strict: meat seared on high heat (seals it), then vegetables on low heat (they don't burn), and after that the 150°C oven does all the work. Peeled tomatoes matter too: skins stay on the surface otherwise. Marc from the Rhône, typically, cuts the acidity of red wine and brings subtle alcohol notes. For wine, you hold the dish with a Côtes du Rhône red with some body, a Gigondas, or simply a good Beaujolais village. The wine's acidity pairs well with tomato and mushrooms. Skip thin Pinots, they don't stand up to the collagen in the meat. For sides, fresh buttered tagliatelle is the base. Add grated Parmesan, a squeeze of fresh lemon juice on each plate, and you're done. Some finish with a pinch of fresh thyme. This is a dish that works quality meat and simple ingredients.

Frequently asked questions

Can dried porcini be replaced with other mushrooms?

Yes, dried boletus, dried chanterelles or even button mushrooms work. Porcini give more umami, but others do fine. Rinse briefly in warm water before adding, skip soaking or they fall apart.

How long does daube keep in the fridge?

Four to five days in an airtight container. Freezes well for three months. Thaw slowly in the fridge overnight, reheat covered at 150°C for 45 minutes with a splash of water.

How to avoid a greasy sauce after 3.5 hours of cooking?

Skim fat when removing from the oven with a spoon or paper towel. Fat rises to the surface as it cools. Taste after, seasoning should be clean, not smothered in fat.