Best Beef, Orange and Olive Stew (Boeuf à la Gardiane) Recipe

Myrna A.

There seems to be no liquid added to the first Hal’s of the cooking?

Janelle C.

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

Myrna A.

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!

Kayla B.

there are no liquids added and that's fine but then you get to a step where magically 2.5 cups of liquid somehow exist.

In a pressure cooker that may be so, but in a dutch oven, in a steam oven on "moist" there was almost no liquid at all.

"If needed, add with water" reads like english as a second language, but I think it means that if you don't have 2.5 cups, make it up with water.
It stressed me out because it made me worry i'd done something wrong earlier on. But I guess it is simply assuming more liquid.

All that said, I cooked this yesterday and the flavors were layered, complex, and intriguing. Though it came out a bit salty for my taste and I'd cut the salt in half next time.

April D.

Kayla - The liquid at the end of step 3 might seem magical, but it's coming from three reliable sources: carrots, onion, and the meat itself. The heat, and the salt present in the pot, help to pull moisture out of these ingredients, and the heavy lid traps steam and recirculates it into the pan to produce the 2.5 cups. The quantity of liquid that you observe will vary depending on the size and freshness of your carrots and onion and the tightness of the seal between the lid and the pot, which is why we recommend adding water as needed (that odd language has been corrected, by the way). This dry braise method produces a final dish with intensely concentrated flavor - I'm glad to hear that's what you experienced when you made it! - April D.

April D.

Kayla - The liquid at the end of step 3 might seem magical, but it's coming from three reliable sources: carrots, onion, and the meat itself. The heat, and the salt present in the pot, help to pull moisture out of these ingredients, and the heavy lid traps steam and recirculates it into the pan to produce the 2.5 cups. The quantity of liquid that you observe will vary depending on the size and freshness of your carrots and onion and the tightness of the seal between the lid and the pot, which is why we recommend adding water as needed (that odd language has been corrected, by the way). This dry braise method produces a final dish with intensely concentrated flavor - I'm glad to hear that's what you experienced when you made it! - April D.

Myrna A.

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!

Kayla B.

there are no liquids added and that's fine but then you get to a step where magically 2.5 cups of liquid somehow exist.

In a pressure cooker that may be so, but in a dutch oven, in a steam oven on "moist" there was almost no liquid at all.

"If needed, add with water" reads like english as a second language, but I think it means that if you don't have 2.5 cups, make it up with water.
It stressed me out because it made me worry i'd done something wrong earlier on. But I guess it is simply assuming more liquid.

All that said, I cooked this yesterday and the flavors were layered, complex, and intriguing. Though it came out a bit salty for my taste and I'd cut the salt in half next time.

April D.

Kayla - The liquid at the end of step 3 might seem magical, but it's coming from three reliable sources: carrots, onion, and the meat itself. The heat, and the salt present in the pot, help to pull moisture out of these ingredients, and the heavy lid traps steam and recirculates it into the pan to produce the 2.5 cups. The quantity of liquid that you observe will vary depending on the size and freshness of your carrots and onion and the tightness of the seal between the lid and the pot, which is why we recommend adding water as needed (that odd language has been corrected, by the way). This dry braise method produces a final dish with intensely concentrated flavor - I'm glad to hear that's what you experienced when you made it! - April D.

April D.

Kayla - The liquid at the end of step 3 might seem magical, but it's coming from three reliable sources: carrots, onion, and the meat itself. The heat, and the salt present in the pot, help to pull moisture out of these ingredients, and the heavy lid traps steam and recirculates it into the pan to produce the 2.5 cups. The quantity of liquid that you observe will vary depending on the size and freshness of your carrots and onion and the tightness of the seal between the lid and the pot, which is why we recommend adding water as needed (that odd language has been corrected, by the way). This dry braise method produces a final dish with intensely concentrated flavor - I'm glad to hear that's what you experienced when you made it! - April D.

Kathy P.

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!!!

Kathy P.

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!!! :)

LARESA B.

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.

Janelle C.

Hi Laresa,

It's beef chuck roast. Sometimes supermarkets will label this cut as stew meat.

Best,
The Milk Street Team

Judie G.

made this last night with baby Bella's instead of peppers. came out great.

Deborah S.

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.

Michael W.

Way too salty. The 2 tablespoons of salt must be a misprint. Maybe 2 TEASPOONs

Lynn C.

Hi Michael -

At Milk Street we use Diamond Crystal kosher salt, which is a coarser kosher salt. We like Diamond Crystal because the crystals are easy to handle and attach well to the surfaces of meat, fish and vegetables. However, because of its coarseness it can weigh less than the same volume of other styles and brands of salt. The smaller the salt crystal, the more it weighs in a given volume, and therefore the more salt you are getting. For example, 2 teaspoons of Diamond Crystal kosher salt is equal to 1 teaspoon of table salt or 1 heaping teaspoon of Morton's coarse kosher salt or fine sea salt. If you are using a different style (table or sea salt, for instance) or brand of kosher salt it could affect the saltiness of the dish.

Best,
The Milk Street Team

Kayla B.

Might be good to mention in the recipe?

Kayla B.

Might be good to mention in the recipe?

Michael W.

Well, thanks for the explanation. When I made the recipe, 2 Tblsp seemed high, and I so I used only half that, so I was using the ratio that you recommended (2tsp Kosher = 1 tsp table). Still, I felt it was much too salty. When I make this again, I will use only 2 tsp. of salt.

Rachel B.

I've got a boneless beef chuck roast in my freezer and am looking for something awesome to make with it in my slow cooker tomorrow. This braise seems like it might be well-suited to slow cooker. Any adaptations you would suggest?

Lynn C.

Hi Rachel -

We haven't tried this one in the slow cooker so we aren't sure on the timing or how it might work. If you do decide to try it, you will want to finish the recipe on the stovetop to reduce the sauce and cook the remaining vegetables. Good luck and let us know how it goes!

Best,
The Milk Street Team

Margaret C.

6 to 7 lbs? How many peopke does this serve? Can it be frozen? No way 2 of us can eat all that even over two nights.

Lynn C.

Hi Margaret -

At the top of the recipe under the title it says it serves 6 to 8 people. You could definitely freeze some, though. Reheat gently over low to avoid drying out the meat or overcooking the carrots and peppers.

Best,
The Milk Street Team

Andrew S.

I got distracted and missed the instruction to cook the meat UN-covered after adding the olives. Even with that error, the meat came out nicely browned from the dry heat inside the Dutch oven. I appreciate these Milk Street recipes that spare you the hassle and mess of browning meat in oil. Curiously, even after cooking it covered, there was only about 3/4 a cup of liquid left behind, so I would be a little concerned that it might dry out too much if cooked uncovered. Anyway, it came out very tasty in the end. I do agree with another commenter that the level of salt may be a little aggressive for some, even when using a coarse salt like Diamond Crystal (which I did). Two tablespoons of kosher salt works out to about 1 teaspoon per pound of meat, which is reasonable, but then you have to consider the additional salt contributed by the anchovies and olives. While the final dish wasn’t overly salty for my taste, it did get pretty close to the edge. I’d probably cut back by at least a teaspoon next time.

Kayla B.

Yes, I use Diamond and think i might even cut the salt in half next time.

Rebecca W.

Used only a pound of chuck because that's what I had, but this created 0 liquid. Had to add broth and some of the meat burned. The final product was good, but not amazing. Probably won't make it again.

Jonathan M.

Made half the recipe, which has turned out to be enough for at least 8 servings. It's very rich and delicious, especially the orange, which adds considerable depth. The difficulty is that the recipe yields very little sauce. I realized the problem has two causes. First, in cutting the recipe in half I should have cut the time to reduce the wine by 30% or so. Second, during the step 5, it has you simmer the vegetables uncovered for 10-15 minutes. During this time virtually all the liquid cooks away. Instead, cook covered, or cook uncovered for part of the time and covered the rest.

Alan I.

Amazing! Cut down the amount of salt by 1/2 to watch my sodium intake and it was a hit! Found grass fed prime chuck...a bit pricey but worth it for Christmas Eve dinner. Served with a vegetable croquette. My French girlfriend was impressed.

Suzanne A.

I don't drink. Should I use beef stock in place of the red wine?

April D.

Suzanne - instead of red wine in this recipe, yes, you can use a beef stock, though I would recommend spiking it with a bit of citrus to stand in for the acidity that the wine brings. An ideal sub would be to use about 1/2 cup pomegranate or cranberry juice (unsweetened) in addition to 2 cups of stock, which will give you a nice approximation of the fruitiness and acidity of red wine. However, you can also simply add 2-4 tablespoons of lemon juice or additional red wine vinegar to account for the acidity.

Best,
The Milk Street Team

Judy T.

This is an amazing meal. The orange juice and zest was such a complement to the other flavors. Served it over riced cauliflower as we are trying to avoid starches. I made a half recipe since there are only two of us. Baked it covered for the full 2 hours, but assessed meat tenderness after only a half hour uncovered. It was done at that point. I might dial back the Morton’s Kosher Salt a bit next time, but used the full amount because I thought it would be needed to draw the moisture out of the meat. Turned out delicious.

Beef, Orange and Olive Stew (Boeuf à la Gardiane)

6 to 8

4½ hours

Ingredients

Directions

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Beef, Orange and Olive Stew (Boeuf à la Gardiane)

6 to 8

4½ hours

Ingredients

Directions

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