Beef Daube

The recipe looked wonderful but the end result was too bitter for one member of the family to eat. I remembered afterwards reading somewhere not to use undiluted wine in stews & casseroles as it would make the dish bitter, and they are right. In "The French Kitchen" the author states that wine is normally broken down with water or stock since it is highly acidic. Also, I cooked it in the oven covered, and I am sure the alcohol didn't totally burn off. Took the leftovers to work the next day for my lunch and spent the next half hour feeling slighly intoxicated.