Daube de Boeuf À la Provençal
There's nothing quite like a Crockpot Beef Stew With Gravy; the depth of flavors achieved in my slow-cooked beef stew by marinating the beef and vegetables overnight in Burgundy wine and then slow-cooking in the crockpot cannot be surpassed. While the recipe features a few optional ingredients like black olives and orange zest, both add extra flavor, making this stew truly irresistible.
You will also enjoy this Beef Stew With Beer, or switch out the beef stew for Best Venison Stew, or Appetizing Lamb Stew.
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Why I Love Crockpot Beef Stew With Gravy
This hearty crockpot beef stew with gravy is a traditional French classic, known as Daube de Boeuf à la Provençale, which originated in Provence, a region in France.
- Perfect for cozy dinners, family gatherings, or entertaining guests.
- Slow-cooked flavors meld beautifully, creating a comforting meal with tender beef, savory bacon, and a rich red wine marinade.
- It improves in flavor when started the day before to give the ingredients time to enhance one another.
- A favorite dish for Christmas Eve dinner in France, where families gather to enjoy a traditional meal. Easily made for your special celebrations, too.
- Beef Stew Recipes are also a perfect fit to be cooked in a Dutch Oven.
- You will get step-by-step instructions on how to make this tasty recipe, best beef cuts, potato choices, expert tips, storage, substitutions, infographic instructions, wine pairing suggestions, and so much more!
Key Ingredients for Crockpot Beef Stew
The Marinade
The marinade is a savory acidic sauce, and in this recipe is created by the red wine. The purpose of marinating is to tenderize the meat and allow the flavors to mature. (see wine substitutes below)
The bouquet garni is a traditional French cooking technique where herbs are tied together for easy removal from the dish after the aromas are infused into the food.
Marinade Ingredient List
- carrots
- onions
- cloves
- Bouquet garni
- good red wine such as Burgundy
For The Stew
The citrus adds depth to the flavor of your stew. It is not overpowering but contributes a little sweetness, a tiny bit of acidity, and richness.
Black olives add tasty saltiness and make a flavorsome bouquet with the meat.
Of course, bacon just adds so much goodness to many dishes, and this one is no exception.
About Potatoes In This French Stew Recipe
You will notice this recipe does not include potatoes, which is a common vegetable in stew.
Waxy potatoes, like red and Yukon Gold, are the best choice if using in a stew. They will hold their shape better than starchy potatoes, which tend to go mushy, especially if stored too long in the fridge or frozen.
It is traditional in France to serve the potatoes on the side, and it is the way I prefer to eat this stew.
I have suggested some delicious side potato recipes below that will complement this wonderful stew.
The method given here for preparing crockpot beef stew with gravy is also traditionally the French method of cooking a stew.
Stew Ingredient List
- stewing beef
- streaky bacon or salt pork
- olive oil
- tomatoes
- tomato paste
- garlic
- black peppercorns
- parsley
- orange (optional)
- black olives (optional)
See ingredients and detailed instructions in printable recipe card below.
Kitchen Tools
A French stew is called daube because of the old earthenware container it was cooked in years ago. This list includes the best features of the original cookware:
- crockpot/slowcooker
If cooking on top of the stove:
- cast-iron pot or Dutch oven
- stoneware oven-safe dish with lid
- Both of the above can be enamelled or glazed.
- heavy-bottomed stainless steel pot with lid
Red Wine Substitutions
(Always replace the wine in a recipe with another liquid.)
- alcohol-free red wine
- red wine vinegar (½ vinegar and ½ water)
- apple juice or cider
- grape juice
- cranberry juice
- pomegranate juice
- cherry juice
- beef broth
- chicken broth
- water
How To Test The Substitution Of Your Choice
Place a small amount of the sauce from the stew into a bowl and add a little of the substitute. Taste it to test if you like it. If it is to your liking, then go ahead and add the full amount to the stew.
You can test a few of the substitutes listed this way to determine which one you like the best.
This will save having a whole pot of stew that you don't care for.
You can use this method for testing herbs and spices, too.
How to Make Crockpot Beef Stew With Gravy
We will start this recipe the day before, with the marinade, or at least a few hours before cooking, to allow the flavours to develop in the meat and vegetables fully.
- Cut beef into large chunks, and prepare vegetables by peeling and chopping.
2. The traditional bouquet garni is made with a sprig of thyme, a bay leaf, and parsley. I always place my bouquet items in a nylon produce bag, which makes it very easy to remove when the stew is ready to serve.
Marinate the Beef:
- Place the beef, carrots, onions, studded onion with cloves, and bouquet garni into a large non-metallic bowl. (Metal will react to the wine or any other acidic liquid used.)
Directions here to make a bouquet garni. - Pour the red wine over the ingredients and refrigerate overnight to marinate. This is an important step to develop rich, deep flavors and tenderize the meat if a cheap cut is used.
Brown the Meat:
- The next day, remove the beef from the marinade and pat dry with paper towels. (This is necessary to brown the beef and create a strong sear on the outside of the meat instead of steaming it.)
- Heat olive oil in a large, heavy-bottomed skillet. Brown the bacon and set aside.
- Brown the beef in batches, ensuring each piece gets a good sear. Transfer the browned beef to a crockpot.
Prepare the Stew Base:
- Add the remaining marinade, tomatoes, tomato paste, garlic, and black pepper to the crockpot or heavy pot - Dutch Oven. Stir well to combine.
Slow Cook:
- Set the crockpot or heavy pot on the stove, on low heat for 4-6 hours, or until the beef is fork-tender and the sauce has thickened. Add water or broth if needed to maintain a stew-like consistency.
Finish and Serve:
- If using, add the black olives and grated orange rind (I love citrus in stew and soup) for a flavor pop!
- Stir in freshly chopped parsley and season with more salt and pepper if needed after tasting.
What To Serve With This Recipe?
- Your delicious beef stew recipe is wonderful served with Creamy Mashed Potatoes, polenta, or Sautéed Potatoes.
- For side vegetables, serve Smashed Brussels Sprouts, or Parsnips - choose your style.
- And, to soak up the tasty gravy, French bread.
- Polenta, cooked cornmeal.
Wine Pairing
The bottom line when pairing wine with any food is that you must enjoy the wine!
Most people would prefer a Pinot Noir, but for me, I would enjoy the fruitiness of a red Burgundy or a Merlot, which is also fruity, although much stronger than a Pinot Noir, but not as dry.
If you don't want it fruity or sweet, then go for a Cabernet Sauvignon.
I make my homemade wine, which is fruity and made with grape, apple, pear, and cranberry juice, and sometimes raspberry or cherry juice. It's delicious; we love it!
More Recipes Like Crockpot Beef Stew
Stew for every day of the week and some!
Crockpot Beef Stew FAQ
The top secret for making the best Crockpot Beef Stew With Gravy is: preparing and cooking it the French way, as in this recipe.
1. Marinating the beef and vegetables in a good wine like Burgundy.
2. Cooking it in the marinade for a long time.
Yes! This stew actually tastes even better the next day, making it an ideal dish for meal prepping ahead when hosting guests. Tip: Start 2 days ahead with marinating and then cook the stew the day before and reheat the next day slowly before serving.
Choose meat for a Crockpot Beef Stew that is leaner than fatty, with less connective tissue, as it becomes mushy or may also be hard to chew. Look for chuck roast, brisket, round, or stewing beef; be sure to marinate the meat first.
Yes, Crockpot Beef Stew With Gravy will keep well in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Crockpot Beef Stew With Gravy can be stored in the freezer in an airtight container for 2-3 months. Use waxy potatoes if you want to freeze this stew. They will hold their shape better than starchy potatoes, which will be mushy.
Try my Beef and Beer Stew Recipe next! Sooooo good!
If you tried this Crockpot Beef Stew With Gravy or any other recipe on my blog, please leave a 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 5-Star Rating and let me know how it went in the comments below.
Très Bien!!!
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Prep Like a Pro
Before you start cooking, chop, measure, and prep every ingredient, and gather your tools.
This simple habit reduces stress, prevents overcooking, and instantly improves your meals. Mise en Place - "Everything in its place."
#1 Crockpot Beef Stew With Gravy Recipe
Ingredients
For The Marinate
- 4 lbs stewing beef cut in thick chunks
- 4 carrots thickly cut
- 2 onions large - thickly sliced
- 1 onion small - studded with 4 cloves
- bouquet garni sprig or two of thyme, parsley, and a bay leaf.
- 1 L red wine bottle of good red wine such as Burgundy
For The Stew
- 8 oz streaky bacon or salt pork, diced
- 4 tablespoon olive oil
- 3 tomatoes ripe, peeled, de-seeded, and roughly chopped
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 4 cloves garlic finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon black peppercorns
- Grated rind and juice of one orange optional
- 3 tablespoon parsley freshly chopped
- 1 teaspoon Salt and ground black pepper
- ½ cup black olives optional
- 1 orange zested and juiced
Instructions
- Place beef, carrots, onions, and bouquet garni in a non-metallic bowl. Pour red wine over the ingredients. Refrigerate overnight or even a couple of hours.
- Remove beef from marinate, pat dry. Brown bacon and beef in a heavy-bottomed skillet with a little oil, then transfer to crockpot/slowcooker. (The meat needs to be dry or it will not brown, it will steam instead, and you will miss a lot of flavor.)
- Add remaining marinade, tomatoes, tomato paste, garlic, salt, and pepper to the crockpot.
- Bring to a boil and immediately reduce heat and simmer for about four hours. The marinate will reduce by about ¾ but you can add a little water if it reduces too much. It should be a good consistency and not watery.
- Add a handful of black olives and grated rind and juice of one orange if you like but it is equally good without.
Notes
- Your delicious beef stew recipe is wonderful served with Creamy Mashed Potatoes, polenta, or Sautéed Potatoes.
- For side vegetables, serve Smashed Brussels Sprouts, or Parsnips - choose your style.
- And of course, a glass of red wine such as Burgundy will complete your meal!
Judith says
The cloves, bouquet garni, aromatics, tomatoes, red wine, bacon, and beef all blend to make the most delicious beef stew! And, the fact that you can stick it all in the slow cooker and have the heavenly smell of well-blended and simmered ingredients to welcome you home is the best! The eating makes it the next best thing! 🫠
Judith says
Ooops, I forgot to mention the orange juice and rind also add to the divine smell and flavor! And, if you love olives (green or black), throw them in too! 😉