RED WINE STEW (DAUBE À L'ANCIENNE)
Ingredients for 10 to 12 servings:
6 pounds beef - buy several cuts: top or bottom round; heel or round; shoulder arm or shoulder blade, neck or short ribs, cut into 3 ounce cubes
Marinade:
2 bottles red Rhone wine (Gigondas preferred)
4 fresh or dried bay leaves
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
5 whole cloves
Several sprigs fresh thyme
1/2 cup olive oil
Stew:
3 tablespoons olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
30 shallots, peeled and trimmed
Grated zest of 4 oranges, organic preferred
2 cups pitted green olives
3 tablespoons coarse sea salt
Serving: 1 pound penne pasta
Directions:
Marinade: Cover the beef pieces with the marinade ingredients in a large dish. Cover and refrigerate for 1 to 3 days, turning occasionally. When ready to cook, strain the meat, reserving the marinade and removing the bay leaves, cloves and thyme..
Heat the oil in a large, heavy casserole. Brown the meat over medium-high heat until browned on all sides. Take care not to crowd the pan. Move the pieces to a platter and season with salt and pepper. Continue browning the meat in batches.
Return the meat to the casserole. Pour on the marinade and cover the pan. Bring liquid to a simmer and cook slowly for 3 hours stirring from time to time and coating the meat with juices. Add the shallots, orange zest and olives and continue cooking for another 30 minutes.
Serving: Lift the meat, olives, and shallots to another warm casserole. Meanwhile cook the pasta in 4 quarts salted water until barely al dente, about 10 minutes. Drain the pasta and stir it into the hot meat sauce. Cover and simmer the pasta in the sauce for 2 minutes.
Divide the pasta among serving bowls. Top each serving with meat, shallots, zest and olives. Spoon on the remaining sauce. Serve immediately.
