France’s great boiled dinner: four cuts of beef simmered for hours with aromatics, then winter vegetables cooked in the broth. The broth is served first as a soup, the meat and vegetables after, with mustard, horseradish and cornichons.
Untested: not yet made in this kitchen. It is part of the collection’s French batch and is adapted from the source named in the Notes.
Ingredients
- 2¾ pounds (1.25 kg) boneless beef chuck, tied into a tight cylinder
- 2 pounds (0.9 kg) cross-cut beef shank
- 1¾ pounds (0.8 kg) bone-in beef short ribs
- 12 ounces (340 g) oxtail
- 10 sprigs fresh thyme
- 1 yellow onion, halved and stuck with 4 cloves in total
- 1 small head garlic, skin on, halved crosswise
- 1 rib celery
- 15 black peppercorns
- 1 bay leaf
- Kosher or sea salt, as needed to season the broth generously
- 5 small Yukon Gold potatoes (1½ pounds; 680 g total), pierced with a fork
- 2 medium leeks (1 pound; 450 g total), trimmed and washed well
- 5 medium carrots (10 ounces; 280 g total)
- ¼ head green or Savoy cabbage
- 1 medium turnip (4 ounces; 115 g), peeled and quartered
- 1 medium parsnip (5 ounces; 140 g), peeled and quartered lengthwise
- 1 pound (450 g) beef marrow bones (about 3), optional, with toast
- Mustard, grated horseradish and cornichons, to serve
Directions
Key ingredients
Black Pepper · Mustard · Salt
- Put the four beef cuts, thyme, onion, garlic, celery, peppercorns and bay leaf in a large pot. Just cover with cold water and add a very generous pinch of salt.
- Bring to a simmer, then hold at a very gentle simmer, skimming, until each cut is fork-tender — at least 2 hours and up to 4. Lift out any cut that finishes early into a covered bowl with a little broth, and top up with water to keep everything covered.
- When all the beef is done, strain the broth, discard the aromatics, and return the beef and broth to the pot.
- Add the potatoes, leeks, carrots, cabbage, turnip, parsnip and marrow bones (if using), submerged. Simmer gently until the vegetables are very tender and the marrow is warm through, about 30 minutes.
- Skim the fat and salt the broth. Serve the broth first as a soup, then the meats and vegetables moistened with broth, with the marrow on toast and salt, mustard, horseradish and cornichons alongside.
Notes
Source Adapted from Daniel Gritzer, “Classic Pot-au-Feu,” Serious Eats.
Serving it “Pot on the fire.” The source describes it as one of France’s most famous home-cooked dishes, traditionally served in separate parts: broth first, then the platter.
The photo The photograph is Serious Eats’ own photo of this recipe.