Estouffade Provençale

Ingredients

• For the marinade
• 1.2 kg beef cheek (joue de boeuf) or shin (gîte), cut into large portions, dried thoroughly
• 750 ml Côtes du Rhône or Gigondas rouge, enough to submerge the meat
• 2 carrots, roughly chopped
• 2 onions, roughly chopped
• 2 celery stalks, roughly chopped
• For the braise
• 60 ml extra-virgin olive oil, Provençal; for browning
• 200 g Niçoise olives (Cailletier), unpitted
• 30 g capers, salt-packed; rinsed thoroughly
• 6 Collioure anchovy fillets in olive oil
• 400 g tomato concassé, fresh or tinned, seeded and roughly chopped
• 6 garlic cloves, whole, unpeeled
• 2 bay leaves
• 3 thyme sprigs
• 2 strips dried orange peel, dried, not fresh

Method

1. 1
   The day before: place the dried beef portions in a deep non-reactive vessel with the carrots, onions, celery, bay, and thyme. Pour over the wine — the meat must be submerged. Cover and refrigerate overnight. The following day, lift the beef from the marinade and dry each piece well with a clean cloth. Strain the marinade and reserve the liquid and the aromatics separately.
2. 2
   Set the oven to 140°C. In a heavy flameproof casserole over a high flame, heat the olive oil until shimmering. Brown the beef portions in batches, without crowding, until a deep mahogany crust forms on all sides. The crust should be dark, dry, and clearly caramelised — not steamed grey.
3. 3
   Remove the browned beef and set aside. In the same casserole, add the reserved marinade vegetables and cook over a moderate flame until softened. Pour in the strained marinade liquid and bring to a brisk boil, reducing until the raw wine aroma has cooked off and the liquid has thickened perceptibly. The smell should read as concentrated red wine, not sharp or acidic.
4. 4
   This is where the dish lives or dies: return the browned beef to the casserole and add the anchovy fillets, unpitted Niçoise olives, rinsed capers, tomato concassé, whole garlic cloves, and dried orange peel. Nestle all elements so the meat is half-submerged. If the casserole lid does not seal tightly, press a sheet of foil against the rim before setting the lid. Place in the oven at 140°C for a minimum of 3 hours without opening. The sealed environment maintains the steam cycle that converts the collagen to gelatin and concentrates the braising liquid to a mahogany sauce; any breach during this period cannot be corrected.
5. 5
   After 3 hours, remove the lid. The braising liquid should be mahogany-black, reduced to a loose syrup that coats the meat, with a visible sheen of olive oil on the surface. Test the meat: a fork or skewer should meet no resistance and the fibres should yield entirely without tearing. If any resistance remains, reseal and return to the oven for a further 20–30 minutes.
6. 6
   Taste the sauce. Olive bitterness, caper sharpness, and anchovy umami should register as integrated background depth — not as separate, identifiable elements. No identifiable anchovy saltiness should be present; if it is, the fillets have not fully dissolved and a further period in the oven is required. Adjust seasoning with care, given the salt content of the preserved ingredients.
7. 7
   Serve directly from the casserole, or — for best results — allow the estouffade to cool, refrigerate overnight, and reheat gently the following day, adding a small splash of water if the sauce has set too firm. Accompany with wide pasta or a Cévennes potato gratin.