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Beef Stew with Olives and Orange

Beef Stew with Olives and Orange

  • Makes
    6 servings
  • Cook Time
    3½ hours
  • Active time plus cooling
    30 minutes active
  • Rating

This unconventional, but easy beef-stew method yields deep. We skip the step of browning the meat, add a only minimal amount of liquid (sometimes none at all) and use the steady heat of the oven instead of the stovetop for simmering. Because the ingredients cook gently in their own juices, the finished stew is meaty and concentrated in flavor, and the liquid does not require thickening. This Provençal-inspired braise combines savory olives and sweet oranges. A Y-style vegetable peeler is the best tool for removing the zest strips from the orange. Serve with crusty bread or soft polenta.

Ingredients
  • 4-5

    pounds boneless beef chuck roast, trimmed and cut into 1½-inch chunks

  • 2

    medium red onions, ends trimmed, each cut into 8 wedges

  • 1

    cup pitted Kalamata olives, roughly chopped

  • Zest strips from 1 orange (see note), plus ⅓ cup orange juice

  • 2

    teaspoons dried oregano OR herbes de Provence

  • Kosher salt and ground black pepper

  • ½

    cup dry white wine

  • Optional garnish: Chopped fresh basil OR flat-leaf parsley

In a large Dutch oven, combine the beef, onions, half the olives, the zest strips, oregano, 1 tablespoon salt and 2 teaspoons pepper. Cover and roast in the oven at 325°F for 2 hours. Stir in the wine and cook uncovered until a skewer inserted into the beef meets no resistance, about another 1 hour. Stir in the remaining olives. Cover and let stand for 10 minutes. Skim off and discard the fat. Remove and discard the zest. Stir in the orange juice and season with salt and pepper.