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No. 67: Use Less Liquid for More Flavor
Beef, Orange and Olive Stew (Boeuf à la Gardiane)
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This hearty stew from Camargue, in the south of France, is traditionally made with taureau, or bull meat, but beef is a common substitute. We use chuck roast, a fatty cut that becomes tender and succulent with simmering. The stew gets robust flavor from classic Provençal ingredients—red wine, olives, anchovies and garlic. Orange is a traditional, too; it lends the braise a brightness that balances its depth and richness. A bold, full-bodied dry red wine such as Côtes du Rhône or syrah is ideal, as it holds its own among the other big flavors. Serve with rice, egg noodles or potatoes.
6-7 pounds boneless beef chuck roast, well trimmed and cut into 2-inch cubes
Kosher salt and ground black pepper
4 medium carrots, peeled and cut crosswise into ½-inch rounds, divided
3 anchovy fillets, patted dry
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 medium garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
1 cup pitted Kalamata olives, rinsed, patted dry and chopped, divided
2½ cups dry red wine
1 medium red bell pepper, stemmed, seeded and cut into 1-inch pieces
1 tablespoon grated orange zest, plus ⅓ cup orange juice
2 teaspoons red wine vinegar
1 cup lightly packed fresh flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped
Ingredients
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6-7
pounds boneless beef chuck roast, well trimmed and cut into 2-inch cubes
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Kosher salt and ground black pepper
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4
medium carrots, peeled and cut crosswise into ½-inch rounds, divided
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3
anchovy fillets, patted dry
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2
tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
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2
medium garlic cloves, thinly sliced
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1
medium yellow onion, chopped
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1
cup pitted Kalamata olives, rinsed, patted dry and chopped, divided
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2½
cups dry red wine
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1
medium red bell pepper, stemmed, seeded and cut into 1-inch pieces
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1
tablespoon grated orange zest, plus ⅓ cup orange juice
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2
teaspoons red wine vinegar
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1
cup lightly packed fresh flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped
Directions
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01Heat the oven to 325°F with a rack in the lower-middle position. In a large Dutch oven, toss the beef with 2 tablespoons salt and 2 teaspoons pepper. Add ½ the carrots, the anchovies, oil, garlic and onion, then toss. Cover, transfer to the oven and cook for 2 hours.
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02Remove the pot from the oven and stir in ½ cup of the olives. Return to the oven uncovered and cook until a knife inserted into a piece of beef meets no resistance, 1 to 1½ hours.
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03Using a slotted spoon, transfer the meat to a large bowl, leaving the vegetables in the pot. Set a fine mesh strainer over a fat separator or medium bowl. Pour the meat juices into the strainer, pressing on the solids to extract as much liquid as possible; discard the solids. You should have about 2½ cups liquid; if needed, add with water.
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04Pour the wine into the now-empty pot and bring to a boil over medium-high, scraping up any browned bits. Reduce to medium and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the wine is reduced by half, about 8 minutes. Meanwhile, if you strained the meat juices into a bowl, use a spoon to skim off and discard the fat from the surface.
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05Pour the defatted meat juices into the pot and add the remaining carrots and the bell pepper. Return to a simmer and cook, uncovered and stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are tender and the sauce is slightly thickened, 10 to 15 minutes. Stir in the orange juice and beef. Continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until the sauce begins to cling to the meat, 3 to 6minutes.
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06Off heat, stir in the remaining ½ cup olives, the orange zest, vinegar and half of the parsley. Taste and season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle with the remaining parsley.
Tip: Don’t forget to zest the orange before juicing it—it’s much easier to grate the zest from a whole orange than from one that’s been halved and squeezed. Don’t add all of the carrots to the pot with the beef. Adding some at the beginning gives the stew a subtle sweetness, but after hours of braising, these carrots are spent. We add more carrots near the end of cooking so that they are tender but still flavorful.
In the store
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Buy now
Castello di Volpaia Red Wine Vinegar
Made in a medieval village in Tuscany, this red wine vinegar is a complex, well-rounded product that is rich and full-bodied but still bright.
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Buy now
Maalouf Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
Imported from Lebanon, it’s truly an all-purpose, extra-virgin olive oil without the overpowering bitterness that mars many other brands.
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Buy now
Manicaretti Iasa Anchovies
Imported form Italy, these anchovies have a firm, meaty texture and deep, sweet savor. Perfect in Caesar salad or with charred brussel sprouts, garlic and honey
More
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There seems to be no liquid added to the first Hal’s of the cooking?
Hi Myrna,
Braising meats with minimal liquid in a covered pot allows the meat to cook gently in its own juices. The method concentrates juices that can later make richly flavored sauces. You'll find more tips and trick like this in our latest cookbook "Milk Street: The New Rules."
Best,
The Milk Street Team
I followed the recipe and turned out really good! I used Chianti and all the ingredients including anchovies. The anchovy smell didn’t go away until I added the red wine. Overall, really good dish!
I made this today; I didn't have a chuck roast, especially a 6 to 7 lb one...would have cost me a fortune. But I used almost 3 lbs of stew beef. I also didn't have red wine or red wine vinegar, but I had Moscato and white wine vinegar. I did not put anchovies in, as I'm allergic to them. Everything else was exactly as the recipe stated, including how long and the amounts. After the three hours of beef in the oven, I set it aside to finish off the recipe. That beef was so incredibly tender and tasty...I told my husband that I would cook up stew beef and cook it like that, just to nibble on as a snack. The whole dish was so appetizing and I will certainly make again. I did not eat it with noodles, but just ate it plain. My second batch of carrots was crispy and I really liked them like that. And the peppers gave it an incredible flavor. This is one I highly recommend. Bon Appetite!!!
I also used homemade orange juice and fresh orange zest. I canned the orange juice a few weeks ago from Florida Navel oranges, right off the truck!!! :)
Does anyone know specifically what cut this is from the shoulder clod? In California, they call everything by a different name and they honestly don't know how to butcher meat. It is so frustrating.
Hi Laresa,
It's beef chuck roast. Sometimes supermarkets will label this cut as stew meat.
Best,
The Milk Street Team
made this last night with baby Bella's instead of peppers. came out great.
Just watched this on your show, can't wait to make this recipe! Chris and fellow Chefs at Milk Street, so happy to find you and this show and the host, Chris. Thanks for a great production and their ease of this show, gentle and easy to watch.