Reveillon Recipe — Daube Glacee

Réveillon (“awakening”) is a dinner held on the evenings preceding Christmas Day and New Year’s Day. It is so named because participants stay awake well past midnight. The tradition is still observed in New Orleans. Try Daube Glacee (Terrene of Beef Shortribs), courtesy of Chef John Besh, with a twist from Beck’s.

Ingredients:

• Four pounds boneless beef short ribs, cut into 2-inch cubes
• Beck’s Devil Dust
• One-quarter cup sugar
• Salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• One Quarter cup canola oil
• Two large onions, diced
• One stalk celery, diced
• Three cloves garlic, minced
• One carrot, peeled and diced
• Two cups red wine
• Two bay leaves
• One cup canned chopped tomatoes
• Two cups Basic Veal Stock
• Two ounces dried mushrooms, softened in warm water and minced
• Leaves from 3 sprigs fresh thyme
• One envelope gelatin
• Pickles

Method:

Season the short ribs with the Beck’s Devil Dust, sugar, salt, and pepper. Heat the canola oil in a large heavy pot over high heat. Add the meat; several pieces at a time, taking care not to crowd the pot, as crowding will prevent the meat from browning. Turn the meat often, carefully allowing each piece to brown before transferring it from the pot to a platter.

When all the beef has browned and has been removed from the pot, add the onions, celery, garlic, and carrots. Stirring constantly, allow the vegetables to cook until the onions become mahogany in color, about 20 minutesReturn the beef to the pot. Then add the wine, bay leaves, tomatoes, Veal Stock, mushrooms, and thyme. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low, cover, and cook until the beef is fork tender, about 2 hours.

Once the beef is cooked, remove from the stove, discard the bay leaves, and skim off any fat floating on the surface. Season the daube with salt and pepper. If serving the daube hot, serve it over rice, pasta, or potatoes.

To serve the daube as a cold terrine, soften the unflavored gelatin in 2 TBSP cold water in a small bowl, then stir into the hot daube. Let cool to room temperature, then refrigerate in the pot, as it is traditionally done, or transfer the stew to a terrine and refrigerate overnight or until cold and set.

Serves 8 to 10 people.