Meat Recipes Pot au Feu


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Pot au Feu

1 pound beef bones including some bits of meat and marrow (as your butcher, many times these are free)
1 to 2 pounds of beef chuck or brisket
Rack of ribs (many times I use a slab of lamb instead)
Olive oil (optional)

Broth

4 to 5 garlic cloves, peeled
2 onions, studded with 2 cloves each
1 large leek, chopped
1 carrot, chopped
I stalk of celery chopped
Bouquet garni-- sprigs of fresh thyme, rosemary, bay leaves and a tablespoon of peppercorns tied up in cheesecloth for easy removal
bottle of red wine
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste at the end

Optional

2 Tbsp veal demi-glace to enrich flavor
One package of vermicelli noodles or angel hair pasta broken into thirds

For the vegetables:(for serving!)

4 carrots, chopped in big pieces
4 turnips, peeled and halved
4 potatoes, peeled and halved
Serve with: * toasted baguette * Dijon mustard * cornichons (little baby gherkin pickles) * Aioli, or mayonnaise

Method

Make the soup: Place a big pot over medium-high heat and quickly sear the meat on all sides (you can use a touch of olive oil if you like), add vegetables and spices and stir. Add wine to deglaze the pan stirring to get bits off bottom of pan. Add the rest of the bottle of wine and add water until meat is covered and bring just to the simmering point. Don't allow it to boil, because it will toughen the meat fibers.

Reduce the heat to low. Cover and simmer gently for 2-1/2 hours. (I use the wood stove for this and simmer for four hours or more, the flavors only intensify)

Using a slotted spoon, scoop the meat and place on a plate. Discard the old vegetables, bouquet garni and bones. (But not the marrow!)

Taste the broth and add salt and pepper as needed. Bring the broth back to the boil and cook, uncovered for 5-10 minutes. (I add some veal demi glace into the broth for extra flavor but it's optional and grandma never did). Add meat back into broth and add vegetables for serving: carrots, potatoes, turnips, leeks, parsnips whatever you have in the root cellar.

Cook at a low simmer for about 40 minutes.

To serve: Arrange the meat on a warmed platter and surround with the vegetables. With remaining broth add vermicelli or angel hair pasta and cook for four minutes or according to package directions. Serve soup as first course and then dive into the meat and vegetables with mustard, garlicky mayo (aioli) and baby pickles. Scoop the marrow our of the bones while still warm and spread on toasted french bread slices. Bon Apetit and Happy Hibernation!

Contributor: Riana Carpenter

Serves: 8

"It is cold and blustery in the dark days of winter. This warm dish with everything in the root cellar and some prized pieces from the butcher can add that extra layer of fat that you will need for a little hibernation during snowy days. My husband's family is French and his grandmother always made pot au feu this way. First you eat the broth as a soup with some angel hair noodles then the family digs into the meat and vegetables with mustard and little pickles. The best compliment that I ever received was when grandpa said my Pot au Feu was just like grandma's. " Riana Carpenter

Note: You can substitute chicken or veal and/ or add different vegetables like celery root, parsnips or cabbage.

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