Daube Niçoise

Instructions

1. Marinate the beef
   Place the beef cubes in a large bowl with the wine, orange peel, half the chopped onions, and half the minced garlic. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight, turning occasionally.
2. Prepare the beef
   Remove the beef from the marinade and pat dry with paper towels. Strain and reserve the marinade. Season the beef with salt and pepper, then dust with flour.
3. Sear the meat
   Heat the olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Working in batches, sear the beef on all sides until browned, about 3-4 minutes per batch. Transfer to a plate when done.
4. Create the base
   In the same pot, add the remaining onions and cook until soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the remaining garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Pour in the cognac and carefully ignite to burn off the alcohol (optional). Scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot.
5. Combine and simmer
   Return the beef to the pot. Add the carrots, tomato paste, and reserved marinade. Add the bouquet garni and bring to a simmer. Cover and reduce heat to low. Cook for 3 hours or until the beef is fork-tender, stirring occasionally.
6. Add the olives
   30 minutes before the stew is done, add the Niçoise olives. Continue to simmer uncovered to allow the sauce to reduce slightly.
7. Adjust seasoning
   Remove the bouquet garni and orange peel. Taste and adjust seasoning with additional salt and pepper if needed. If the sauce is too thin, you can increase the heat slightly and simmer uncovered until it reaches your desired consistency.