"Victor Sack" > wrote in message
.. .
>A beef daube is a kind of stew that is just right for the cold weather -
> and that is what I cooked, using the following recipe, which I posted
> before. It is from _Bistro Cooking_ by Patricia Wells.
>
> Victor
>
> Daube de Boeuf Auberge de la Madone aux Cèpes et à l'Orange
> Auberge de la Madone's Beef Stew with Wild Mushrooms and Orange
>
> 4 1/2 pounds (2.25 kg) stewing beef, preferably a combination of beef
> round and beef chuck, cut into large pieces (each weighing about
> 4 ounces; 125 g)
> 4 carrots, peeled and cut into rounds
> 3 medium onions, coarsely chopped
> 2 garlic cloves
> 1 sprig of fresh parsley
> 1 celery rib, thickly sliced
> 3 imported by leaves
> 1 tablespoon fresh thyme or 1 teaspoon dried
> 1/4 cup (6 cl) marc de Provence or Cognac
> 1 bottle (75 cl) sturdy red wine, such as Côtes-de-Provence
> 1/4 cup (6 cl) plus 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
> 1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
> 3 whole cloves
> 3 tablespoons (1 1/2 ounces; 45 g) unsalted butter
> 1 pound (500 g) fresh wild cèpe mushrooms or cultivated mushrooms
> 1 tablespoon tomato paste
> Salt and freshly ground pepper
> Grated zest and juice of one orange
>
> 1. One day before serving the stew: In a large nonreactive bowl,
> combine the meat with the carrots, onions, garlic, parsley, celery, bay
> leaves, thyme, marc, red wine, and the 1 tablespoon olive oil. Tie the
> peppercorns and cloves in a piece of cheesecloth; add to the bowl and
> toss well. Cover and refrigerate for 24 hours, stirring once or twice.
>
> 2. Let the meat and vegetables return to room temperature. With a
> slotted spoon, remove the meat from the marinade. Drain well; pat dry
> on paper towels. Set the vegetables aside. Transfer the liquid and the
> cheesecloth bag to a nonreactive large heatproof casserole. Bring to a
> boil over medium-high heat. Boil for 5 minutes to reduce slightly.
> Remove from the heat.
>
> 3. In a large skillet, melt the butter in the remaining 1/4 cup (6 cl)
> olive oil over high heat. When the foam subsides, add half of the meat.
> Sauté, tossing, until browned all over, about 5 minutes. With a slotted
> spoon, transfer the meat to the liquid in the casserole. Repeat with
> the remaining meat.
>
> 4. In the same skillet, sauté the reserved vegetables until browned,
> about 7 minutes. Transfer the vegetables to the casserole. Add the
> mushrooms to the skillet. Sauté until lightly browned, about 5 minutes;
> set aside.
>
> 5. Stir the tomato paste into the casserole. Bring to a simmer over
> medium-low heat. Reduce the heat to very low and simmer, skimming
> occasionally, until the meat is very tender, 3 1/2 to 4 hours. Stir in
> salt and pepper to taste, the mushrooms and the orange zest and juice.
> Discard the cheesecloth bag of cloves and peppercorns. (The recipe can
> be prepared 2 to 3 days ahead and refrigerated. Reheat before serving.)
> Serve with potatoes, rice, or pasta.
>
> Yield: 8 servings
>
>
I think this recipe has problems.

Mixing beef chuck and beef round is a mistake. Use one or the other. For all
braised beef dishes we tend to use chuck, which stays moist. Round dries
out. It really needs to be larded.
Browning beef with butter is a mistake. Butter doesn't tolerate heat very
well unless it's clarified. We usually use rendered salt pork fat, sometimes
bacon fat, though you can use any oil that will brown without breaking down.
If you add roughly chopped onions, and chunks of celery and carrot to a dish
that you're going to braise four hours you're going to have a gloppy mess.
A wine only braising liquid is not very appealing. A dish like this should
have some beef stock, as in Boeuf Bourguignon.
To spend $25 or so a pound for cepes, if they're available, and add it to a
dish this crude is a waste of $25. Fresh cepes and fresh porcinis, if you
can find them locally are quite delicate and would be lost in the dish.

Patty Wells got this recipe from a restaurant. I wonder if she tried it
enough to validate that this is indeed what she ate at the restaurant. We do
like Patty Wells' books. In "Bistro Cooking" check out Baker's Wive's
Potatoes on page 110. We cook that dish now and then and like it.

Kent