Beef Daube
Beef Daube - Image Petrina Tinslay - Styling Geraldine Muñoz
As a young chef I was lucky enough to be pointed in the direction of the seminal works of Elizabeth David. The two that resonated most with me are French Country Cooking [1952] and French Provincial Cooking [1962] for their simple unadulterated love of the French country kitchen. I started my apprenticeship at the ripe old age of 25 in a fashionable French Bistro just around the corner from Kings Cross. It was there that I was able to solidify my love and skill cooking these type of dishes such as the classic Beef Daube.
There is this thing that happens in language, where brands are so ubiquitous they become the common noun or verb: bandaid, yoyo, hoover, granola are some examples. So it is with cooking and the French, where the cooking vessel becomes the name of the dish – casserole, poêle and, as in this case, daube, which is a terracotta cooking vessel from Provence.
wine tip: Use a young vintage in the cooking and an older vintage (of the same wine) for drinking
Serves 4
1 kg beef shin
100 g plain (all-purpose) flour
100 ml olive oil
200 g thick pancetta or lardon (skin on), cut into 8 pieces
4 large carrots, peeled and cut into large chunks
12 small onions, outer layer of skin removed
1 bottle Shiraz
1 litre chicken stock
3 fresh bay leaves
2 cinnamon sticks
1⁄2 bunch of thyme
2 allspice berries
2 cloves
1 teaspoon black peppercorns
1 garlic bulb
zest of 1 orange
2 teaspoons cornflour (cornstarch)
Cut the beef shin into 8 large pieces and dust them in the flour.
In a large, deep, heavy-based frying pan over medium heat, brown the beef on all sides in the olive oil. Drain and transfer the meat to a large ovenproof casserole.
Brown the pancetta in the same frying pan.
Add it to the casserole, reserving the fat in the frying pan.
Brown the carrot in the frying pan then add it to the casserole.
Brown the onions in the frying pan and add them to the casserole, along with the remaining pancetta fat.
Pour the bottle of wine into the frying pan and cook over high heat until it has reduced to a syrup. Add the stock, bring to the boil and then add the contents of the pan to the casserole.
Preheat the oven to 120°C (250°F).
Tie the bay leaves, cinnamon, and thyme into a tight bundle using butcher’s string then add it to the casserole with the remaining spices, garlic bulb and orange zest.
Put the lid on the casserole and cook in the oven for 4–5 hours until the beef is gelatinous and just starting to fall apart.
If required - Whisk the cornflour with 2 tablespoons of cold water to make a slurry. Stir the slurry into the casserole over low heat until it thickens. Serve the daube in the casserole at the table.