Boeuf Provençale

Ingredients

• 4 ½ cups veal or beef stock
• 1 bottle red wine
• 2 sprigs rosemary
• 1 bay leaf
• 5 strips bacon, cut into 1/2 in. pieces
• ½ cup flour
• ¾ tsp fresh ground black pepper
• ¼ tsp salt
• ½ tbsp ground fennel seed
• 1 ½ lbs. stewing beef, cut into 3/4 in. cubes
• 4 tbsp olive oil
• 2 stalks celery, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
• 5 shallots, peeled but whole
• 2 medium carrots, peeled and diced
• ½ tbsp grated orange zest
• 12-15 dry cured black olives, pitted
• 2 large portobello mushrooms, chopped into 1/2 in. slices

Directions

• Preheat oven to 250 degrees.
• Simmer wine, 3 1/2 cups of stock, bay leaf and rosemary in sauce pan until reduced by 1/4. Leave in sauce pan until needed.
• While stock is simmering, cook bacon pieces, and dispose of grease. Set aside.
• Mix flour, black pepper, salt and ground fennel seed in a mixing bowl. Toss beef cubes in seasoned flour until completely coated. Remove from bowl and pat off excess flour, but keep flour.
• Heat olive oil in a large Dutch oven on high. Brown the floured meat on all sides in two or three batches. Remove browned beef from pan and set aside.
• Lower the heat under the pot to medium, and add carrots, celery, garlic and whole shallots (if needed, add more olive oil). Cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are browned.
• Turn heat to high, and add the cooked bacon and browned beef, stirring frequently. When pan is hot, sprinkle with remains of seasoned flour and stir.
• Pour in reduced wine mixture from sauce pan, and bring to a boil. Stir in olives, orange zest, mushroom slices, and the remaining 1 cup of stock.
• Cover, and heat in oven for 3 hours. Remove, taste, and adjust seasonings.

Pairs With: Esprit de Tablas/Beaucastel, Patelin de Tablas, Reserve Cuvee, En Gobelet, Tannat, Syrah