Beef Stew with Red Wine & Carrots (Daube de Boeuf aux Carottes)

Very simply, a daube (pronounced dohb) is a red-wine-based beef or lamb stew. This type of dish has countless flavor permutations, of course, but the most famous (and my favorite) is the Provençal daube, seasoned with local herbs and a bit of orange zest. The orange was originally the bitter Seville orange, but you can make a fine daube with a few strips of navel orange (add a strip of lemon, too, if you want to sharpen the flavor). I also like to add some sort of vegetable garnish to sweeten and brighten the stew. Here I’ve used carrots cut into hefty chunks so they hold their shape during the long cooking, but you could also use a combination of parsnips, baby onions, and celeriac.

• 
  
  1 3-lb. boneless beef chuck roast
  
  


• 
  
  2 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil
  
  


• 
  
  2 slices thick-cut bacon, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
  
  


• 
  
  Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
  
  


• 
  
  8 oz. shallots (8 to 10 medium), thinly sliced (about 2 cups)
  
  


• 
  
  2 Tbs. brandy, such as Cognac
  
  


• 
  
  2 Tbs. tomato paste
  
  


• 
  
  2 to 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped (2 to 3 tsp.)
  
  


• 
  
  2 tsp. herbes de Provence
  
  


• 
  
  2 cups hearty red wine, such as Côtes de Provence or Côtes du Rhône
  
  


• 
  
  1 14.5-oz. can whole, peeled tomatoes
  
  


• 
  
  4 strips orange zest (2-1/2 inches long, removed with a vegetable peeler)
  
  


• 
  
  1 lb. slender carrots, peeled and cut into 3/4- to 1-inch chunks (about 2 cups)
  
  


• 
  
  1/4 cup coarsely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
  
  

Tip:

Rather than buying already cut-up stew meat, buy a whole chuck roast and cut it into 1-1/2- to 2-inch cubes. These larger chunks won’t dry out during the long braise, and they make the stew more satisfying to eat.

Using your fingers and a thin knife, pull the roast apart along its natural seams. Trim off any thick layers of fat. Carve the roast into 1-1/2- to 2-inch cubes and arrange them on a paper-towel- lined tray to dry.

Position a rack in the lower third of the oven. Heat the oven to 325ºF.

Heat the oil and bacon together in a 7- or 8-qt. Dutch oven over medium heat, stirring occasionally, just until the bacon is browned but not crisp, 5 to 6 minutes. With a slotted spoon, transfer the bacon to a small plate. Season about one-third of the beef with salt and pepper, and arrange the cubes in a sparse single layer in the pot to brown. Adjust the heat so the beef sizzles and browns but does not burn. Cook until all sides are a rich brown, a total of about 10 minutes. Transfer to a large plate or tray, and season and brown the remaining beef in two more batches.

When all the beef chunks are browned, pour off all but about 1 Tbs. of drippings, if necessary. Set the pot over medium-high heat, add the shallots, season with a large pinch of salt and several grinds of pepper, and sauté until they just begin to soften, about 1 minute. Add the brandy and let it boil away. Add the tomato paste, garlic, and herbes de Provence, stirring to incorporate, and sauté for another 1 minute. Add the wine, stirring and scraping the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon to dislodge  the caramelized drippings, and bring to a boil. Pour in the liquid from the tomatoes, holding the tomatoes back with your hand. Then one by one, crush the tomatoes with your hand over the pot and drop them in. Add the orange zest, and return the beef (along with accumulated juices) and bacon to the pot. Finally, add the carrots, bring to a simmer, cover, and slide into the oven.

Cook the stew, stirring every 45 minutes, until the meat is fork-tender (taste a piece; all trace of toughness should be gone), 2 to 3 hours. Before serving, skim off any surface fat (if there is any), taste for salt and pepper, and stir in the parsley.

Spice-Rubbed Roast Beef Tenderloin with Red Wine Sauce

This roast beef tenderloin looks glamorous and tastes amazing, yet it's practically foolproof. The meat gets its deeply browned exterior in the oven at a single temperature; no pre-searing or fussing with different temperatures necessary. Even better: The deeply flavored, thyme-infused red wine sauce can be made days ahead, so there's no last-minute panic when it comes time to serve.

For the beef

• 
  
  2 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil
  
  


• 
  
  2 Tbs. finely chopped fresh thyme
  
  


• 
  
  1 Tbs. ground fennel seed
  
  


• 
  
  1/2 tsp. caraway seeds, coarsely ground
  
  


• 
  
  Kosher salt
  
  


• 
  
  Freshly cracked black pepper
  
  


• 
  
  2 2-1/2-lb. beef butt tenderloins, trimmed  
  
  

Tip:

For a crowd serve two partial tenderloins—request butt tenderloins at the meat counter—instead of one whole one. This way, there are no thinner tail ends, and the roasts cook evenly.

For the sauce

• 
  
  2 Tbs. unsalted butter
  
  


• 
  
  1 Tbs. olive oil or canola oil  
  
  


• 
  
  4 oz. cremini mushrooms, thinly sliced (1-3/4 cup)
  
  


• 
  
  1/4 cup thinly sliced shallot (1 medium)
  
  


• 
  
  1/4 tsp. granulated sugar
  
  


• 
  
  Kosher salt  
  
  


• 
  
  3 large sprigs fresh thyme 
  
  


• 
  
  1 tsp. cracked black peppercorns
  
  


• 
  
  1 750-ml bottle dry, hearty red wine,such as Shiraz or Zinfandel  
  
  


• 
  
  2 cups lower-salt beef broth 
  
  


• 
  
  1 Tbs. all-purpose flour 
  
  


• 
  
  Freshly ground black pepper 
  
  

Season the beef

In a small bowl, combine the olive oil, thyme, fennel, caraway, 1 Tbs. salt, and 1-1/2 tsp. pepper. Pat the tenderloins dry with paper towels and coat them with the spice mixture, using your hands to spread it evenly; it will sparsely cover the meat. 

Make the sauce

Melt 1 Tbs. of the butter and the oil in a 10-inch skillet over medium heat. Add the mushrooms, shallot, sugar, and 1/4 tsp. salt. Cook, stirring often, until soft and beginning to brown, about 6 minutes. Add the thyme, peppercorns, and half of the wine. Simmer briskly until the wine reduces and just covers the solids, 10 to 15 minutes. Add the remaining wine and reduce again until the wine just covers the solids, 10 to 12 minutes more. Add the beef broth and simmer until reduced by half, about 15 minutes. Strain through a fine sieve set over a 1-quart measuring cup, pressing lightly on the solids. If you have more than 1-1/2 cups liquid, return the sauce to the pan and simmer until reduced to 1-1/2 cups 

Melt the remaining 1 Tbs. butter in a 1-quart saucepan over low heat. Whisk in the flour and cook, whisking often, until smooth and light beige in color, about 1 minute. Slowly add the wine reduction, whisking constantly. Bring to a simmer and cook, whisking often, until slightly thickened, about 3 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Roast the beef

If you've seasoned the beef ahead of time, remove it from the refrigerator and let sit at room temperature for about an hour before roasting. Meanwhile, position a rack in the center of the oven and heat the oven to 375°F.

Arrange the roasts on a flat rack on a large rimmed baking sheet. Roast until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the center reads 120°F for rare , 125°F to 130°F for medium rare, or 135°F for medium, 40 to 50 minutes. 

Serve

If the sauce was made ahead, heat gently in a small saucepan over medium-low heat, whisking a few times, until barely simmering. 

Meanwhile, let the beef rest for 15 minutes before carving crosswise into thick slices. Slice only as much as you plan to serve right away (leftovers keep better unsliced). Spoon the sauce over each serving or pass at the table. 

Spice-Rubbed Roast Beef Tenderloin with Red Wine Sauce

This roast beef tenderloin looks glamorous and tastes amazing, yet it's practically foolproof. The meat gets its deeply browned exterior in the oven at a single temperature; no pre-searing or fussing with different temperatures necessary. Even better: The deeply flavored, thyme-infused red wine sauce can be made days ahead, so there's no last-minute panic when it comes time to serve.

For the beef

• 
  
  2 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil
  
  


• 
  
  2 Tbs. finely chopped fresh thyme
  
  


• 
  
  1 Tbs. ground fennel seed
  
  


• 
  
  1/2 tsp. caraway seeds, coarsely ground
  
  


• 
  
  Kosher salt
  
  


• 
  
  Freshly cracked black pepper
  
  


• 
  
  2 2-1/2-lb. beef butt tenderloins, trimmed  
  
  

Tip:

For a crowd serve two partial tenderloins—request butt tenderloins at the meat counter—instead of one whole one. This way, there are no thinner tail ends, and the roasts cook evenly.

For the sauce

• 
  
  2 Tbs. unsalted butter
  
  


• 
  
  1 Tbs. olive oil or canola oil  
  
  


• 
  
  4 oz. cremini mushrooms, thinly sliced (1-3/4 cup)
  
  


• 
  
  1/4 cup thinly sliced shallot (1 medium)
  
  


• 
  
  1/4 tsp. granulated sugar
  
  


• 
  
  Kosher salt  
  
  


• 
  
  3 large sprigs fresh thyme 
  
  


• 
  
  1 tsp. cracked black peppercorns
  
  


• 
  
  1 750-ml bottle dry, hearty red wine,such as Shiraz or Zinfandel  
  
  


• 
  
  2 cups lower-salt beef broth 
  
  


• 
  
  1 Tbs. all-purpose flour 
  
  


• 
  
  Freshly ground black pepper 
  
  

Season the beef

In a small bowl, combine the olive oil, thyme, fennel, caraway, 1 Tbs. salt, and 1-1/2 tsp. pepper. Pat the tenderloins dry with paper towels and coat them with the spice mixture, using your hands to spread it evenly; it will sparsely cover the meat. 

Make the sauce

Melt 1 Tbs. of the butter and the oil in a 10-inch skillet over medium heat. Add the mushrooms, shallot, sugar, and 1/4 tsp. salt. Cook, stirring often, until soft and beginning to brown, about 6 minutes. Add the thyme, peppercorns, and half of the wine. Simmer briskly until the wine reduces and just covers the solids, 10 to 15 minutes. Add the remaining wine and reduce again until the wine just covers the solids, 10 to 12 minutes more. Add the beef broth and simmer until reduced by half, about 15 minutes. Strain through a fine sieve set over a 1-quart measuring cup, pressing lightly on the solids. If you have more than 1-1/2 cups liquid, return the sauce to the pan and simmer until reduced to 1-1/2 cups 

Melt the remaining 1 Tbs. butter in a 1-quart saucepan over low heat. Whisk in the flour and cook, whisking often, until smooth and light beige in color, about 1 minute. Slowly add the wine reduction, whisking constantly. Bring to a simmer and cook, whisking often, until slightly thickened, about 3 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Roast the beef

If you've seasoned the beef ahead of time, remove it from the refrigerator and let sit at room temperature for about an hour before roasting. Meanwhile, position a rack in the center of the oven and heat the oven to 375°F.

Arrange the roasts on a flat rack on a large rimmed baking sheet. Roast until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the center reads 120°F for rare , 125°F to 130°F for medium rare, or 135°F for medium, 40 to 50 minutes. 

Serve

If the sauce was made ahead, heat gently in a small saucepan over medium-low heat, whisking a few times, until barely simmering. 

Meanwhile, let the beef rest for 15 minutes before carving crosswise into thick slices. Slice only as much as you plan to serve right away (leftovers keep better unsliced). Spoon the sauce over each serving or pass at the table.