Le Daube de Boeuf
Preparation time: 30 mins
Cooking time: 2 hrs 30 mins
Serves: 6
What you need
1kg John Penny top rump of beef, sliced into large squares about 1cm thick
2 tbsp olive oil
280g pancetta
2 onions, thinly sliced
2 carrots, sliced on the diagonal
1 stick of celery
2 tomatoes, skinned and sliced
2 cloves garlic
1 sprig thyme
1 bay leaf
1 sprig parsley
300ml red wine
Freshly ground pepper
Persillade, To garnish
How to cook
Preheat the oven to Gas 2, 150°C, fan 130°C, 300°F.
Put the olive oil in a casserole dish.
Add ¾ of the pancetta, then the vegetables. Arrange the beef on top.
Flatten the garlic cloves with a knife and bury among the meat, along with the bundle of herbs. Cover with the rest of the pancetta.
Place on a medium heat, and begin to cook, uncovered.
After about 10 minutes, pour the wine into another pan, bring it to a fast boil.
Pour the bubbling wine over the meat. Cover with a lid and transfer to the oven for about 2½ hours.
Remove the herbs and serve, sprinkled with a little persillade.
This is good served with a wide, rippled pasta such as pappardelle, mixed with some of the beef's juices.