Classic French Pot au Feu
"Pot au Feu is French for “pot on the fire”. In other words, a stew or stock pot which is left cooking over the fire. In previous times, it may simply have been a cooking pot which was left over the fire, into which was thrown whatever food and scraps happened to be available
Ingredients
- 2-¾ pounds beef chuck, tied into a tight cylinder (use kitchen twine)
- 2 pounds cross-cut beef shank
- 1-¾ pounds bone-in beef short ribs
- 12 ounces oxtail
- 10 sprigs fresh thyme
- 1 whole yellow onion, halved and stuck with 4 cloves fresh garlic, papery skin left on and head cut in half crosswise
- 1 whole yellow onion, halved and stuck with 4 cloves of garlic
- 1 rib celery
- 15 whole black peppercorns
- 1 bay leaf
- Kosher or sea salt, to taste
- 1-½ pounds small Yukon gold potatoes, pierced all over with a fork
- 1 pound medium leeks, trimmed of root end and darkest green top and washed very well
- 5 medium carrots, peeled or scrubbed
- ¼ head green or Savoy cabbage
- 1 medium turnip, peeled and quartered
- 1 medium parsnip, peeled and quartered lengthwise
- 1 pound beef marrow bones, optional
- Toast for the marrow bones, if using
- Mustard, grated horseradish and cornichons, for condiments
Instructions
- In a large stockpot or Dutch oven, combine beef chuck, shank, short ribs, oxtail, thyme, onion, garlic, celery, peppercorns and bay leaf.
- Top with enough cold water to just cover and season with a very generous pinch of salt.
- Bring to a simmer, then lower heat to maintain a very gentle simmer; cook, skimming occasionally, until each cut of beef is fork-tender, at least 2 hours and up to 4 hours, depending on the cut and animal your beef is from.
- If any piece of beef reaches tenderness before the others, simply transfer it to a large heat proof bowl, ladle a small amount of broth on top and cover with plastic.
- Top up the pot with water, as needed, to keep all the ingredients covered.
- When all the beef is done, strain the broth, discarding thyme, onion, celery, garlic, peppercorns and bay leaf; return all the cuts of beef and broth to the pot.
- Add potatoes, leeks, carrots, cabbage, turnip, parsnip and marrow bones, if using, to stockpot, making sure all are submerged in the broth with the beef.
- Return to a gentle simmer and cook until all the vegetables are very tender and marrows bones are fully warmed through to the center; about 30 minutes.
- Skim any fat from the broth; transfer meats and vegetables to a platter, bathing with broth to keep moist.
- Season broth with salt.
- Serve broth as a soup and the meats and vegetables as the main course; the marrow bones can be served with toasts (spread the marrow on the toasts and season with salt).
- Pass more salt at the table for seasoning the meats, along with mustard, grated horseradish and cornichons.