A
PROVENCAL DAUBE - Serves 6
By Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall from
The River Cottage Meat Book
This is the kind of simple stew
that exemplifies slow cooking at its best. A modest cut of beef,
some onions, tomatoes, wine, and the all-important but often
overlooked pork component, bubble together quietly for a couple
of hours to produce something so much greater than the sum of
its parts. There, I've almost given you the recipe. Here, to be
on the safe side, are a few more details.
Ingredients
1.5kg shin of beef (or skirt or other
good stewing beef)
2 tablespoons olive oil
250 g piece of salt pork, pancetta or bacon, cut into 2cm chunks
100g pork or bacon rind, cut into 2cm squares
500ml white wine
About 500ml water or light beef stock (p.473)
1 onion 4 cloves
4 garlic cloves, bashed with the side of a knife
2 bay leaves
A couple of sprigs of thyme
2-3 strips of finely pared orange zest
2 carrots, cut into big chunks
3 celery sticks, cut into 5cm lengths
500g tomatoes, skinned, deseeded and chopped
Salt and freshly ground black pepper |
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Method
Cut the shin into larger-than-you-would-think,
not-too-boringly-square pieces, trimming off some, but not all, of
the fat as you go.
Heat the olive oil in a large, heavy-based frying
pan. Fry the bacon and the pork or bacon rind until lightly browned
(but not crisp). Remove with a slotted spoon and place in a large
casserole. In the same oil, brown the beef, in 2-3 batches, and then
transfer to the casserole.
Deglaze the frying pan with a little of the wine
(page 262), then add the rest of the wine, heat until it boils and
pour it over the meat. Heat up the water or stock in the same way
and pour that over too - enough to cover the meat by a good 2cm. Cut
the onion in half and stick each half with 2 cloves, then add to the
casserole along with the garlic, herbs, orange zest, carrots, celery
and tomatoes. Season, going easy on the salt for the time being
(remember that the bacon will give up salt to the pot). Bring to a
very gentle simmer and maintain it, either on the hob over a very
low heat or in the oven at 120°C/Gas Mark 1/2, for 3-4 hours, until
the meat is completely tender. At this point the stew can be cooled
and kept in the fridge for a day or two, which, as ever, would be no
bad thing.
To serve the stew, make sure it is thoroughly hot
- if it has been left to cool -and check the seasoning. Remove the
onion (unless any of your guests fancies half an onion). Ladle the
stew into deep plates or wide bowls, with plenty of the juice (which
in this stew is meant to be thin and copious, rather than thick and
reduced). You could serve it with potatoes - boiled, baked or
mashed. Or (and I rather like this option) with macaroni or some
other noodly pasta, pre-cooked and stirred into the daube a couple
of minutes before you ladle it out.
Here is just a sample of what we do, if you want something that
you can’t see give us a call and we can discuss your
requirements.... meat hung longer....a continental cut.... Apple and
Pork Sausages for a kiddies party....
ready cooked meat for a
luncheon party.... Wild Game Roulade.... half a lamb for the
freezer....
you name it, and given some warning we’ll prepare it for you
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= Recommended by your friendly family butcher
as the healthy option |
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= Gluten Free |
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= Available Gluten Free. Please request when
ordering |
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