French Beef Stew in Red Wine

I’ve been freezing a lot of meats lately and I had three steaks in the fridge. Matt took one out and cooked it on the grill and it was blah. Tasted good, but the steak was so tough. Looks like they got freezer burned.

So I had to do something with them and I figured the best way to use freezer burned meat is to cook them in the slow cooker. Slow cooking seems to be the remedy for tough meats.

I decided to make this amazing beef stew from Katie at the Kitchen Door. I’ve been following her blog for a while now, and she takes some great photos! She also had a giveaway for the beautiful cookbook this recipe was from, Home Made Winter, and I won! Thanks for the book Katie!

Slow cooking the freezer burned meat worked like a charm. After 2 hours of cooking, the meat was just falling apart. The whole dish was great. I loved the taste of the wine and orange in the stew. I also used just one can of olives, I’ve never had them before but I figured I’d try it.

Matt loved it too, but he said he would have liked to see more veggies. He would have added broccoli. But I was making it, so carrots were enough for me

Daube Provençale (French Beef Stew with Red Wine)
Recipe from Home Made Winter, by Yvette van Boven
Serves 8

3 lb stew beef, cut into 1 inch cubes
1 (750-ml) bottle Cote du Rhone
salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 sprigs fresh thyme
2 bay leaves
3 carrots, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch slices
1 orange, fruit removed and zested
1 large onion, peeled and cut into rings
2 cloves garlic, peeled and sliced
olive oil
1 6-oz can tomato paste
3 1/2 oz. pitted black olives

1. Season meat with salt and pepper on all sides. Place meat in a big bowl with wine, thyme, bay leaves, carrots, orange and zest, onion, and garlic. Cover and marinate in the fridge for at least 12 hours, and preferably 24 hours.

2. Heat some olive oil over medium heat in a large stockpot. Remove the meat from the marinade and brown the pieces in the oil on all sides. Pour the marinade (including the oranges, bay leaves, etc.) over the meat and bring to a boil. Boil for 5 minutes, skimming any foam from the surface.

4. Lower the heat to a simmer, stir in the tomato paste, and add 4 1/2 c. water. Cover, and let stew on low heat for 2-3 hours, stirring occasionally.

5. 15 minutes before the stew is ready, add the pitted olives. Let cook for 15 minutes on medium heat without the lid to thicken the stew.

6. Serve over mashed potatoes, rice, or pasta.

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