Name: Provençal Beef Stew
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 3 h
Yield: 6 people
Cuisine: Provence
Ingredients: 1,5 kg ofbeef cheek (or shank, cut into fairly large pieces); 1 onion; 4 pods ofgarlic; 2 carrots; 1 bouquet garni; 100 g ofbacon bits; 2,5 glasses ofred wine; 1,5 glass ofwater; salt, pepper; olive oil; 1 tbsp offlour; chef's knife; vegetable brush; cast-iron casserole

main courses meat prepared in advance slow cooking slow cooking traditional cuisine

Updated on 01 January 2026 by

toquetoque

9 reviews 4 : Very good

Cuisine

Provence

Level

Easy

Preparation

30 minutes

Cooking

3 hours

Wait

8 hours

The kids came home for the holidays, so I made them my mother’s famous Provençal beef stew. I use beef cheek for this dish, which I marinate the night before in an aromatic red wine broth.

The next day, the meat simmers slowly in a Dutch oven. Served with fresh tagliatelle, this beef stew is a real treat!

This stew is also very easy to make, and you can prepare it in advance for a large meal. It will taste even better once reheated!

The only thing to keep in mind when preparing this stew is to cook it over low heat. You need to avoid rapid temperature changes in the beef so that it stays tender.

For

people

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For the marinade
1,5 kg of beef cheek or shank, cut into fairly large pieces
1 onion
4 pods of garlic
2 carrots
1 bouquet garni
100 g of bacon bits
2,5 glasses of red wine
1,5 glass of water
salt, pepper

To brown the meat
olive oil
1 tbsp of flour

The day before
- 1
  Scrub and rinse the carrots, then cut them into pieces.
  Peel, remove the core, and finely chop the onion.
  Rinse and crush the garlic cloves without peeling them.
- 2
  Cut the meat into large chunks.
- 3
  Combine all the marinade ingredients in the cast-iron pot, and let it marinate overnight in the back of the fridge.
The next day
- 4
  The next day, remove the casserole dish from the refrigerator and transfer the pieces of meat to a bowl using a slotted spoon.
  Pour the marinade into another bowl.
- 5
  Cover the meat and let it come to room temperature for about half an hour.
  This will prevent the beef from becoming tough when cooked later.
- 6
  Heat a little olive oil in the pot and add the beef pieces.
  Brown the meat on all sides.
  Sprinkle with flour, and give it another stir.
- 7
  In another saucepan, warm the marinade.
  Add the marinade to the casserole dish.
- 8
  Cook over very low heat, covered, for 3½ to 4 hours.