Daube de Boeuf: Classic Provençal Beef Stew vs Rabo de Toro (Oxtail Stew)

Both stews start from the same foundation of browned meat, onion, carrot, garlic, tomato paste, bay, thyme and a full bottle of red wine, yet they end up tasting quite different. The daube braises cubes of beef chuck in the oven with crispy bacon lardons, fresh thyme and a touch of orange zest, then adds mushrooms and black olives near the end for a briny, aromatic finish. Rabo de toro dredges oxtail in flour before searing, then simmers it on the stove with beef broth and dried thyme until the meat falls off the bone, giving a thicker, deeply meaty sauce.