Boeuf En Daube - French Beef Burgundy in the Crock Pot Recipe #176183
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.
by French Tart
1 day | 1½ hours prep
SERVES 8 -12
- 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)
- Marinade the beef with the herbs, shallots & garlic over night in the bottle of red wine.
- Drain and put the wine to one side.
- 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!
- Place browned beef into the crock pot or cast iron Le Creuset Casserole Dish.
- Fry the lardons or chopped bacon pieces until crispy & golden brown. Drain & add to the beef.
- Brown the shallots & garlic in the bacon fat & add to the beef & bacon.
- Add all the other ingredients, except the cornflour, to the crock pot including the reserved wine.
- (Add the tinned tomatoes & sun dried tomatoes at this stage too if you are using them.).
- Cook on automatic or High for 4 hours and Low for up to 6 hours.
- (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!).
- 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.
- 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!
- THIS IS BETTER MADE 24 HOURS BEFORE EATING!
- Freezes beautifully - I always make a large batch and then freeze some.
- 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.
- 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!
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5 stars