Slow-Cooked Beef becomes wonderfully tender as it simmers with sweet prunes, briny Castellano olives, and fragrant orange peel. This beef with prunes, olives & orange recipe builds layers of rich, savory flavor in a deeply reduced sauce, making it a comforting centerpiece served over egg noodles or creamy polenta.
Why Drink a Glass of Petite Sirah Lytton Estate With This Slow-Braised Beef Recipe?
“Classic Petite Sirah notes of blackberry, plum, and blue fruit flavors, layered with cracked pepper, cocoa, floral notes, and minerality, echo the caramelized beef, herbs, and deeply reduced sauce. The wine brings structure, depth, and savory complexity to the dish’s savory richness. The Petite Sirah’s firm tannins and full-bodied texture stand up beautifully to the tender beef, and the dark fruit characters balance nicely with the sweetness of the prunes and playful acidity from the oranges. The surprising piece that ties the pairing together is the salinity from the Castellano olives.” – Shauna Rosenblum, Winemaker, Lytton Springs
Meet representatives of Lytton Springs and Ridge Vineyards at Santa Fe Wine & Chile Fiesta! They will be present at: Reserve Tasting and Silent Auction (September 24), and Fiesta Grand Tasting (September 26).
Print
Slow-Braised Beef With Prunes, Castellano Olives & Orange
- Yield: Serves 6
Description
The sweet prunes and salty olives add a nice balance to the beef and savory sauce, making it perfect over egg noodles or polenta.
Ingredients
- 3 lb stewing meat, cubed
- 1/2 a large red onion, peeled and diced
- 1 carrot, peeled and diced
- 1 celery stalk, peeled and diced
- 2 tbsp olive oil, plus additional to sear the meat
- 3 sprigs of thyme
- 1 long ribbon of orange peel
- 3 oz, about 1/2 cup of pitted and halved prunes
- 1 cup of Castellano olives, pitted and halved
- 32 oz (or less) beef stock
- Salt and pepper
- Chopped parsley, to garnish
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 250 degrees.
- Heat the olive oil in a large cast iron casserole dish, then add the onion. Cook covered over low heat until the onion is soft and translucent.
- Add in the carrot and celery and cook until tender.
- Remove the cooked vegetables and set aside.
- Generously season all of the beef with salt and pepper. Add a light drizzle of olive oil then sear the meat in batches, ensuring each side of the cube is nicely browned.
- Remove the meat and deglaze the pan by adding a few cups of beef stock and scraping up the browned bits in the bottom of the pan.
- Add back in the cooked vegetables, the beef, the thyme and orange peel. Pour in the beef stock so it doesn’t quite cover the beef.
- Place the lid back on and put in the preheated oven. Cook for 3-4 hours until the meat is tender. At this point, you can finish the recipe or remove from the heat, cool, and complete the next day.
- About an hour before serving, add the prunes and olives and return to the oven and gently warm the mixture.
- Before serving, stir in chopped parsley. Serve over egg noodles or polenta.
About the Recipe Author
Julia Platt Leonard is Regional Editor for TABLE Magazine’s New Mexico edition, covering Santa Fe’s food, shopping, and community scene. A graduate of the Cambridge School of Culinary Arts, she has worked as a pastry chef, food consultant, and television reporter, and is co-founder of the Santa Fe International Literary Festival. She is the author of the novel Cold Case (Simon & Schuster) and has written for publications including The Independent. Reach her at julia@tablemagazine.com.
About the Photographer
Dave Bryce is TABLE Magazine’s contributing architecture, interiors, and food photographer, based in Pittsburgh. He photographed Fallingwater: Living With and In Art (Rizzoli, 2025) and regularly shoots for Pittsburgh Magazine and American Farmhouse Style, working with architects, interior designers, and hospitality brands. See more at davebrycephotography.com.
Wine Pairing by Shauna Rosenblum, Winemaker, Lytton Springs
Subscribe to TABLE Magazine‘s print edition.
