Provençal Beef Daube

Ingredients

• 1  bay leaf 
• 0.5 teaspoon pepper black freshly ground
• 1 teaspoon peppercorns whole black
• 15 ounce canned tomatoes whole crushed drained canned
• 2 large carrots peeled thinly sliced
• 1  celery stalk thinly sliced
• 2 pounds chuck roast boneless trimmed cut into chunks
• 1 teaspoon cornstarch 
• 0.5 ounce porcini mushrooms dried
• 3  flat-leaf parsley sprigs 
• 1.5 tablespoons flat-leaf parsley leaves fresh chopped
• 1.5 teaspoons thyme leaves fresh chopped
• 6  garlic cloves minced
• 0.3 cup lower-sodium beef broth fat-free
• 1 tablespoon olive oil extra-virgin
• 0.3 cup niçoise olives pitted
• 1 large onion peeled chopped
• 1 inch orange rind 
• 0.5 cup red wine 
• 0.8 teaspoon salt divided
• 3  thyme sprigs 
• 0.5 cup water boiling
• 1 tablespoon water 

Equipment

• bowl
• frying pan
• sieve
• ziploc bags
• slow cooker
• cheesecloth
• kitchen twine

Directions

1. Combine first 3 ingredients in a large zip-top plastic bag. Seal and marinate at room temperature 30 minutes, turning bag occasionally.
2. Combine 1/2 cup boiling water and mushrooms; cover and let stand 30 minutes.
3. Drain through a sieve over a bowl, reserving mushrooms and 1/4 cup soaking liquid. Chop mushrooms.
4. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat.
5. Sprinkle beef mixture with 1/4 teaspoon salt. Coat pan with cooking spray.
6. Add half of beef mixture to pan; saut 5 minutes, turning to brown on all sides.
7. Place browned beef mixture in a 6-quart electric slow cooker. Repeat procedure with cooking spray and remaining beef mixture.
8. Add wine and broth to skillet; bring to a boil, scraping pan to loosen browned bits.
9. Pour wine mixture into slow cooker.
10. Add mushrooms, reserved 1/4 cup soaking liquid, remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt, olives, and next 5 ingredients (through tomatoes).
11. Place peppercorns, parsley sprigs, thyme sprigs, bay leaf, and orange rind on a double layer of cheesecloth. Gather edges of cheesecloth together; secure with twine.
12. Add cheesecloth bundle to slow cooker. Cover and cook on LOW for 6 hours or until beef and vegetables are tender. Discard the cheesecloth bundle.
13. Combine 1 tablespoon water and cornstarch in a small bowl, stirring until smooth.
14. Add cornstarch mixture to slow cooker; cook 20 minutes or until slightly thick, stirring occasionally.
15. Sprinkle with chopped parsley and chopped thyme.
16. More Ways with Dried Porcini Mushrooms
17. Rehydrate mushrooms with boiling water; use soaking liquid and mushrooms to flavor risotto.
18. Enrich soups and stews with soaking liquid and mushrooms.
19. Use soaking liquid and mushrooms as the base for pasta sauce.