French Fridays with Dorie, Week 11: My Go-To Beef Daube

I love beef stew and find myself delightfully surprised when I find an even better twist on the traditional recipe.  Browned cubes of beef chuck roast, bacon, onion, shallots, garlic, carrots, & parsnips with a bottle, yes a bottle, of red wine & bundle of fresh herbs: thyme, parsley, rosemary.  Simple.  Delicious.

Translation:  aller à mon boeuf daube
Listen to the pronunciation via Google Translate.

Other favorite beef stew recipes:
Beef, Barley, & Butternut Squash Stew from Fine Cooking.

My Favorite Beef Stew
Adapted from Wegmans Slow-Cooked Country-Style Beef Stew

2 lbs beef chuck roast, cut into 2-3 inch cubes

2 Tbsp olive oil
2 slices bacon, cut in 1/4-inch strips
4 carrots, trimmed, peeled & chopped

3-4 celery stalks, trimmed, peeled & chopped,

1 1/2 pound potatoes, quartered

1 onion, quartered & thinly sliced

6 Tbsp all-purpose flour
2 cups red wine
4 cups beef stock or broth
2 bay leaves
4 Tbsp tomato paste

2 Tbsp Herbes de Provence

Dust beef with pan-searing flour.
Heat oil on medium in large braising pan. Add beef; brown, turning to brown all sides, 8-10 min. Remove beef; place in slow cooker. Add bacon to pan and cook until crisp; set aside. Discard all but 1 Tbsp drippings from pan.
Add stew vegetables (minus potatoes) to pan. Cook, stirring occasionally, 4-5 min. Stir in all-purpose flour. Add wine, stirring to loosen browned bits on bottom of pan. Cook 3-5 min, until liquid is reduced by one-third, to a syrupy consistency. Add broth; bring to simmer.
Pour broth mixture over beef in slow cooker. Add potatoes, bacon, bay leaves, tomato paste, and herbes; stir slightly.
Cover; cook on HIGH for 4-5 hours or LOW 7-9 hours. Transfer beef and vegetable to serving platter. Discard bay leaves. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Pour sauce over beef; serve.