Comfort Food in the Comfort of your Home

Before the weather gets too warm, you may want to try making this ultimate comfort food that will make you want to curl up on your couch.

It's daube, that classic French beef stew that you bake for hours until the meat is so tender it melts right in your mouth. The following recipe is likely from The French Farmhouse Cookbook. Thanks to DJ for making it for us again and again.

Beef Daube

3 pounds lean stewing beef cut into 2.25 x 1 in pieces (lean, boneless beef
roast)
Put in large earthenware bowl
1 1/2 cups dry white wine (or vermouth or red wine)
1/4 cup brandy (or gin)
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp thyme or sage
1 crumbled bay leaf
2 cloves mashed garlic
2 cups thinly sliced carrots
2 cups thinly sliced onions

Put beef in bowl and mix with wet ingredients and vegetables. Marinade for
at least 3 hours (6 if refrigerated).

Cut 1/2 lb lean bacon into 1-inch slices and simmer for 10 minutes in 2 quarts water.
Drain bacon (spoon out).

Remove beef from marinade and dry beef (do not dispose of marinade).

Line bottom of casserole with bacon and add 1 1/2 cups of mushrooms and 1 1/2 cups of ripened tomatoes, peeled, seeded, juiced and chopped.

Layer all ingredients including beef, rolling beef in flour before layering.

Pour marinade over everything. Bake for 2-4 hours in 325-degree oven until it simmers.

Serve over mashed potatoes.