Gascon-Style Beef Stew

Preparation info
  • Serves

    6–8

    • Difficulty

      Easy

Appears in
Soups and Stews

By The Editors of Saveur

Published 2015

  • About

This beef and root vegetable stew is made with armagnac, chocolate, and, traditionally, madiran wine, a rich, concentrated, and highly tannic wine produced in Gascony, in southwestern France. If you can’t find it, pinot noir is a good alternative and makes a lighter, more nuanced broth.

Ingredients

  • 3 oz. slab bacon, cut into ½″ matchsticks
  • lb. beef chuck, trimmed and cut into 2″ pieces
  • Kosher sal

Method

  1. Heat bacon in an 8-qt. saucepan over medium-high. Cook, stirring occasionally, until fat is rendered and bacon is crisp, 5–7 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer bacon to paper towels to drain and set aside. Season beef with salt and pepper. Working in batches, cook, turning as needed, until browned, 12–14 minutes. Transfer beef to a bowl and set aside. Add garlic, c