Provençal Beef with Root Vegetables
·Prepare the ingredients
Tie the thyme, rosemary and parsley stalks together into a bundle with kitchen string. Finely chop the garlic. Cut one onion into small dice and the other into half-moons. Peel and trim the celery and cut into chunks, then slice the carrot into rounds.
Add the wine and orange juice
Put all these ingredients into a large pot, mix together, pour in the wine and squeeze in the orange juice. If you'd like, and have an organic orange, wash it thoroughly, cut it into quarter-rounds and add it to the marinade as well.
Leave to marinate
Add the beef, cut into large chunks or slices, to the prepared marinade. Leave to marinate for at least 24 hours.
Fry the bacon
The next day, remove the meat from the marinade. Heat the oil in a large pan and fry the diced bacon until golden.
Brown the meat and warm the marinade
Once the bacon is nicely browned, lift it out with a slotted spoon, transfer it into the marinade, and place the meat into the hot fat left in the pan. Sear on each side for about three minutes until nicely browned all over. While the meat is browning, warm the marinade through on the stove.
Braise for three hours
Once the marinade is warmed through and the meat is browned, season the marinade with salt and pepper. Place the meat in a roasting dish and pour over the marinade. Cover and bake in an oven preheated to 130°C for around three hours.
Serving
Serve with a baguette or whatever you like best – rice or pasta go wonderfully with it too. This Provençal beef is great made a day ahead, as it tastes even better once it's had time to rest.