Daube of Beef
Classic are, well, classics. Mozart's 35th, the Parthenon, a Bugatti or Bogart movie all need to be enjoyed at a part of a rich heritage. The Beef Daube in one such dish. The daube is a quintessential beef stew, beef slowly braised in red wine, vegetables, and seasonings. Traditionally, daube was cooked in a daubière, a heavy casserole or pot with a concave lid made of stoneware, earthenware or tinned copper. In the days of wood fires, the lid would be filled with water to help temper the heat and radiate heat around the stew. Modern ovens, with their even heat control lessens the need for an old fashioned daubière but it is still the sentimental favorite and widely used in Provence. Thus, most any stew cooked in this pot is called a daube. I used a bacon-wrapped top sirloin steak for the beef portion and market vegetable from the farmers market in Santa Barbara.
Tastefully yours®
Chef Michael Hutchings
