Provençal Beef Daube

Combine the beef chunks, red wine, cognac, orange zest strips, crushed garlic, thyme, rosemary, bay leaves, peppercorns and cloves in a large bowl. Toss to coat, cover tightly, refrigerate, and marinate for 48 hours, turning the meat once after 24 hours.

Lift the beef from the marinade and pat thoroughly dry with paper towels. Strain the marinade through a fine sieve and reserve the liquid; discard the solids. Soak the dried porcini in the 150 ml warm water for 20 minutes, then lift out the mushrooms and reserve both the mushrooms and the strained soaking liquid.

Heat the olive oil in a large heavy-bottomed casserole such as a Dutch oven over high heat until shimmering. Season the beef generously with salt and pepper, then sear in a single layer — working in two batches — until deeply browned on all sides, about 4 minutes per side. Transfer the seared beef to a plate and set aside.

Reduce the heat to medium. Add the lardons to the same casserole and cook until the fat has rendered and the lardons are golden, about 5 minutes.

Add the onions, carrots, celery and sliced garlic to the casserole and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables have softened and taken on a little colour, about 8 minutes.

Push the vegetables to the side, add the tomato paste to the cleared space, and cook it directly against the pan base for 2 minutes until it deepens to a brick-red colour.

Sprinkle the flour over the vegetables and stir to coat evenly, then cook for 1 minute to eliminate the raw flour taste.

Pour in the reserved marinade, scraping up all the browned bits from the base of the casserole with a wooden spoon. Bring to a vigorous boil and cook uncovered for 5 minutes to cook off the alcohol.

Add the crushed canned tomatoes, porcini mushrooms, porcini soaking liquid, orange juice and anchovies to the casserole. Return the seared beef and any resting juices to the pot; the liquid should nearly cover the meat. Reduce the heat to the lowest possible setting, place a lid slightly ajar on the casserole, and cook at a bare simmer for 2½ hours, checking occasionally, until the beef is completely tender and yields easily when pressed with a spoon.

Insert a meat thermometer into the thickest chunk of beef — it should read at least 90°C, confirming the collagen has broken down; the meat should yield easily to the back of a spoon rather than merely being food-safe. If not quite there, cover and continue the bare simmer for a further 15–20 minutes.

Stir in the olives and cook uncovered for a further 10 minutes to allow the sauce to reduce and gloss.

Taste and adjust the seasoning, scatter with chopped parsley, and serve directly from the casserole with crusty bread, buttered egg noodles, or creamy polenta.