Beef Daube Provencal is a classic beef stew from the South of France, the beef braised in red wine with vegetables, herbs and orange peels. It can be served with rice, fresh tagliatelle, warm or cold.

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What Daube means
Daube is a cooking method to braise either meat, fish or vegetables with wine. The word has Spanish origins, dobar, to braise. Daube usually refers to beef cooked in wine with herbs and vegetables, very common in the South of France.
Daube is very different than beef Bourguignon which is also beef cooked in wine. The Bourguignon is cooked for only 2 hours, while the Daube is cooked for 3. The vegetables in the Bourguignon are onions and mushrooms, while in the Daube there are carrots, tomatoes and orange peels which are ingredients more typical from the South of France. Another big difference is that in the Bourguignon the meat is first coated with flour and butter is used, while the Daube is cooked with vegetable oil.
What vegetables and herbs are used in the daube Provencal
In the daube Provencal the following vegetables are used:
- 2 onions
- 2 carrots
- 2 tomatoes
- 2 garlic cloves
- ½ orange peels
- bouquet grani
Bouquet Garni is a selection of herbs wrapped in a leek leaf. The herbs are usually bay leaf, thyme, rosemary and sage.
Wrapping the herbs in a leek leaf instead of a cotton bag adds an extra depth of flavor to the dish.
What meat to use for the Daube
The best cuts of beef to use in the stew are the cheaper cuts, usually well-worked muscles. Because they work a lot, they are lean and tough but with many connective tissues. Those tissues melt when cooked for a long time forming thick creamy gelatine.
In the chart below you can see where those cuts are located. They are called:
- 8 & 9 Shank in Italian Campanello or Muscolo, in French Jarret, Gîte
- 10 & 11 Round in Italian Girello or Controgirello, in French Semelle, Jumeau
- 12 Chuck in Italian Giovarro or Collo, in French Collier
If you want to know more about the difference among those cuts you can read an interesting article on Seriouseats.com : Stew Science: How to Choose the Best Cuts for Beef Stew.
Are you interested in knowing more about beef cuts and their names in French and Italian? You can find more information in the article: Cuts of Beef for Barbecuing
How to make the Daube Provencal
- In a casserole pour 2 tablespoon of oil
- Add the bacon,
- then all the vegetables
- Lay the beef
- Hide the chopped garlic between the meat
- Season with salt and pepper
- Add the bouquet grani
- and the orange peels
- Cover and cook at high heat for 10 minutes
- Pour 1 cup of red wine
- Cover and cook in the oven at 300 F - 150C for 3 hours
What to serve with the beef daube
The beef daube can be served with rice or fresh tagliatelle. I recommend baked rice pilaf , it is easy to make as it is just baked in the oven.
Julia Child wrote about the Daube Provencal as the last dish she had when she sold her house in the cote d'Azur and she served it with simple boiled rice.
And what about trying them with some nice chunky homemade gnocchi?
For a crispy option you can also serve it with fried polenta or gnocchi alla Romana.
For dessert, I would remain on French Theme and suggest Peach Tart Tatin or Ile Flottant, and a homemade Nocino or Limoncello to digest all
Top tips
- If you like the daube juicier, you can add 1 cup of beef stock
- The original recipe calls for covering the meat with parchment paper and sealing the cover of the casserole with flour mixed with water. I didn't do that but feel free to try if you like
- For wine, I used pinot noir. You can also use a dry white wine
Recipes you might also like
For more potatoes recipes, check out the category: Main Course
Also check the recipes below:
- Beef Pie With Marsala Sauce
- Brazilian Picanha BBQ
- Classic Veal Milanese
- Traditional Cassoulet Recipe
- Magret de Canard à l'Orange Recipe
- Pork Casserole with Pineapple or whatever
- Pulled Pork Pressure Cooker
If you are making this Beef Daube Provencal, leave your comment below I would like to hear from you. You can find more delicious ideas if you FOLLOW ME on Facebook, YouTube, Pinterest and Instagram or sign up to my newsletter.
📋Daube Provencal
Ingredients (Commissions Earned)
- 2 lb beef for stew
- 5 oz bacon
- 2 onion diced
- 2 chopped carrots
- 4 fresh tomatoes
- 2 peeled garlic cloves
- 1 bouquet garni: leek, thyme, rosemary, sage
- ½ orange peels
- 2 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1 cup red wine
- salt
- black pepper
Equipment (Commissions Earned)
Instructions
- In a casserole pour 2 tablespoon of oil and warm it up at medium temperature2 tablespoon vegetable oil
- Add the bacon, then the vegetables5 oz bacon, 2 onion diced, 2 chopped carrots, 4 fresh tomatoes
- Lay the beef2 lb beef for stew
- Hide the chopped garlic between the meat2 peeled garlic cloves
- Season with salt and peppersalt, black pepper
- Make a bouquet garni wrapping the herbs inside a leech leave1 bouquet garni: leek, thyme, rosemary, sage
- Add the bouquet garni and the orange peels½ orange peels
- Cover and cook at high heat for 10 minutes
- Pour 1 cup of red wine1 cup red wine
- Cover and cook in the oven at 300 F - 150 C for 3 hours. Add 1 cup of water if you like it juicy.
- Remove the bouque grani and serve with baked rice or fresh tagliatelle
Video
Notes
- If you like the daube juicier, you can add 1 cup of beef stock
- The original recipe calls for covering the meat with a parchment paper and seal the cover of the casserole with flour mixed with water. I didn't do that but feel free to try if you like
- For wine I used a pinot noir, you can also use a white dry wine
sara
What a wonderful recipe that is sure to impress! I might make this for father's day. What dessert would you recommend pairing with it?
Laura
That would be nice. To remain on French theme I would recommend a Peach Tart Tatin or Ile Flottant. I will add the recipe links on the post
Deanne Frieders
This looks like the perfect meal on a weekend, along with a nice glass of wine! Thanks for all the tips, I will be making this soon!
Laura
You are welcome, I am sure you will like it
Mikayla
I love anything cooked in red wine, but I'd never heard of this, I can't wait to add this to my meal plan, I'm so intrigued about the orange peel and beef!
Laura
It is a classic here in the South of France, really good
Sally
Love French dishes! Can't wait to try this one ... Looks so tender and flavorful!
Laura
thank you, you will like it
Chichi
Never heard of Daube before. Cooking beef in red wine sounds delicious. Definitely trying this. Thanks
Laura
it will be, I am sure you will like it
Martin Lingard
I think you’ve got your temperature muddled, it would turn out like leather 220c.
Try 120c / 250f for 4 hours instead.
Laura
Thank you for your note, I revisit the recipe and changed it for 300F - 150 C for 3 hours
kellyb
Just a little French tip - it's bouquet garni, not grani. 🙂
Laura
Thank you, autocorrect makes a mess