Daube à la boeuf is a classic French beef stew with olives, made with red wine, featuring meltingly tender meat in a rich sauce.
One of the best beef stews ever, this beef stew with olives is perfect for cold autumn and winter days. I cook a lot of French recipes, like quiche Lorraine, which I’ve made dozens of times, though I haven’t posted the recipe. Crème caramel is another favorite dessert of mine.
Coq au vin and coq au Riesling are family favorites, and I often make boeuf bourguignon around Christmas. I also make Remy’s ratatouille and French Palmiers, my daughter’s favorites.
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What is daube a la boeuf?
Daube à la boeuf, or daube Provençale, is a classic French dish from Provence. There are many variations, but today, I'm making the version with olives.
Traditionally, daube is cooked in a special terracotta braising pan called a daubière, which helps retain the cooking liquid. The daubière has a pitcher-like shape with a concave lid designed to minimize evaporation.
If you don’t have a daubière, you can still make a daube using a Dutch oven or another heavy-bottomed pot. To mimic the effect of a daubière, which prevents condensation from escaping, place a piece of parchment paper slightly larger than the pot over the ingredients before putting the lid on. This helps to minimize evaporation and keep the cooking liquid from reducing too quickly.
Recipe ingredients
Beef: Traditionally, daube uses lesser cuts of meat, with the daubière helping to tenderize them. For my version, I used beef chuck roast, a great cut for stewing that becomes tender and flavorful.
Bacon: I use a whole piece of streaky bacon with the rind on, rendering the fat to sear the beef, which adds flavor to the red wine stew. Remove the rind in one piece before chopping the bacon. This step is optional but recommended. If you're using pre-chopped bacon without the rind, sear the beef in olive oil or lard instead.
Red wine: I use a good-quality wine that I enjoy drinking on its own - something not too expensive but not the cheapest either.
Beef stock: Use a high-quality beef stock - homemade is best, but if not, choose a flavorful, low-salt brand. I often use beef bone broth or turkey bone broth. If you’re not using bone broth, you might add a stock cube to boost the flavor, but be cautious with the salt, as stock cubes can make the dish too salty.
Olives: I always use black olives with pits, as pitless olives tend to be watery and lack flavor. If using olives with pits, be sure to warn your guests, as they might not expect them, and you wouldn’t want anyone to break a tooth accidentally.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
Good to know!
If the bacon has the rind, remove it in one piece and render the fat to sear the beef.
Always pat the meat cubes dry before frying; if they're too wet, they'll stew instead of searing.
Sear the beef in batches to avoid overcrowding the pan, which can cause the meat to stew rather than brown.
Salt: Add only a little salt at the beginning and adjust the seasoning at the end.
Storage
Make in advance: It's recommended to make the beef olive stew one day in advance so that the flavors can mingle. Once cool, refrigerate the covered pot.
Refrigerate leftover beef stew with olives in an airtight container for 3-4 days.
Freeze the leftovers for about 3 months and defrost them in the fridge.
Reheat the stew on the stovetop or microwave.
What to serve with it?
I usually serve crusty white bread with red wine beef stew, but softer, basic polenta is also a delicious option. Boiled potatoes or garlic Parmesan mashed potatoes are always a good choice, too.
French Beef Stew with Olives
Ingredients
- 7 oz onions 200 g
- 4 garlic cloves
- 5.5 oz carrots 150 g
- 2.2 lbs beef chuck roast 1 kg
- 5.5 oz streaky bacon in one piece and with the rind on, if possible, 150 g
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 3 cups dry red wine 750 ml
- 2 cups beef broth or beef bone broth 500 ml, (Note 1)
- 2 bay leaves
- 6 sprigs thyme
- 3.5 oz black olives 100 g, (Note 2)
- a pinch of sugar
- fine sea salt and pepper
Instructions
- Chop the onions and the garlic finely. Next, chop the carrot into smallish cubes. Set aside separately.7 oz onions/ 200 g + 4 garlic cloves + 5.5 oz carrots/ 150 g
- Chop the beef into 3 cm/ 1.2-inch cubes. Place the cubes on kitchen paper and pat dry with another piece of kitchen paper. Remove the rind from the bacon in one piece (if it has any) and cube the bacon into small cubes.2.2 lbs beef chuck roast/ 1 kg + 5.5 oz streaky bacon/ 150 g
- Fry beef cubes: Place the rind of the bacon in a large Dutch oven. Let it render shortly, add 1 tablespoon of the olive oil and fry the beef cubes, in several batches, until nicely browned. Add a little more of the oil as needed. Remove the meat from the pot.3 tablespoons olive oil
- Add the bacon and fry shortly. Next, add the onions and the garlic and cook until translucent. Next, add the chopped carrots and continue cooking for further 5 minutes. Finally, add the tomato paste and cook shortly.1 tablespoon tomato paste
- Return the meat and bacon to the pot. Sprinkle the flour all over the meat and stir well for about 1 minute.2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- Pour the red wine into the pot and let bubble, stirring until approximately reduced by half. Add the beef broth (and extra stock cube, if using), bay leaves, and thyme.3 cups dry red wine/ 750 ml + 2 cups beef broth or beef bone broth/ 500 ml + 2 bay leaves + 6 sprigs thyme
- Close pot tightly: Place a piece of parchment paper over the pot, it should be a bit larger than the pot itself. Place the lid on top and make sure it is tightly closed.
- Simmer: Reduce the heat and simmer for about 2 ½ to 3 hours, stirring every now and then. Check after 2 ½ hours; the meat should be very tender; if it is not yet, continue cooking it.
- Adjust taste: If you feel that the sauce becomes too thick, add more bone broth or water. When the meat is very tender, adjust the taste of the stew with salt, pepper and a pinch of sugar.fine sea salt and pepper + a pinch of sugar
- Add the olives and let the sauce simmer for another 5 minutes or so until the olives are heated through.3.5 oz black olives/ 100 g
Notes
- Broth: If using regular beef broth, add an extra beef stock cube for more flavor. If using bone broth that will not be necessary, bone broth is very deeply flavored.
- Preferably olives with the pit inside. Warn the people at the table about the pit.
marie johson says
Never heard about this red wine beef stew before. Looks yummy 🙂 thanks
Alex says
Draga nu e salata de bouef :)) the correct name for this recipe is "daube", that's it. You can specify "de boeuf", but most of the time that's only done in Camargue, where the specialty is "daube de taureau" - bull daube. That's a minor detail - I'm from South of France & your recipe looks delicious, looking forward to trying it!!
Adina says
Oh well, that it's really detailed knowledge I could not possibly know, the only place in France I have ever seen is Paris. And we mostly ate baguette with goat's cheese and drank wine there, no daube or any cooked meal at all... Thank you for the info and I hope you try the recipe. No idea how the original tastes but this version was delicious.
Alex says
haha yes sorry, by re-reading my comment it didn't read as a positive one when really I meant this with an open heart! It's always awesome to see people enthusiastic about the food from my region ♥ can't wait to try it!
Sissi says
Your stew looks fantastic! I know beef with carrots, but have never tried beef with olives. Actually, from my experience I can say I've never eaten as light and as healthy as in French houses (including parties) and I think heavy dishes are occasional treats nowadays (just like in my house, but it concerns not only French cuisine, of course).
I wish I knew and could recommend modern home French cookery books, especially written in English... I take my recipes from family, friends, internet and only traditional ones from the few French cookery books I own. I've heard Chocolate and Zucchini blog is great, but I don't know it well. I think it contains both traditional and modern French cooking but also international cuisine.
Monica says
Looks amazing! I love a rich stew like this when it's cold...perfect date night kind of meal with some crusty bread on the side. I'm making a pot roast tonight but need to have this soon!
Cheyanne @ No Spoon Necessary says
I am all over any kind of beef stew with red wine! Total comfort food up in here! I could eat this for dinner for DAYS! Cheers, friend!
Beth says
Your stew looks wonderful! French cooking can be laborious, but the best French recipes are simple and straightforward, like this one.
Angie@Angie's Recipes says
It looks really great! Those beef pieces look so tender and literally melt-in-mouth.
Kathy @ Beyond the Chicken Coop says
This dish looks amazingly delicious! I love how rich the broth looks. Perfect dish for a cold fall or winter day!