Fred Flintstone

With weather in the 20s and 30s all week, it seemed like a good time for beef stew. I made My Go-to Beef Daube from the December menu choices of French Fridays with Dorie. It was fantastic! Here's the chunk of chuck I started with. The boy at the check out commented, "Look at that Fred Flintstone piece of meat!" And indeed it was.


I think this is the first time I've made a stew with no broth or water for the meat to braise in. This was all wine and a splash of brandy to deglaze the pan. I have to say that the richness and flavor of this dish made me a fan. The only problem? I was so impatient to eat it that I didn't let my potatoes boil for long enough and they were very difficult to mash. Patience is something I need to practice.
One change I might make next time: Add half the carrots and parsnips at stirring time. They were very well cooked and some that had a little more body would have been welcome.