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Just a little historical note, food for thought if you will, the pot-au-feu has been around for a little while that much we do know however some say the dish evolved from an earlier one called pot pourri, a popular dish of the 17th and 18th centuries. That said, the earliest French-language pot-au-feu recipe written specifically for the home cook may have been by Gouffé in 1867. The entire first chapter of his book, eight pages, were devoted to the meticulous preparation of the pot-au-feu. Thankfully, I have been able to carefully distill that into justs a few paragraphs.
One more note. The goodness of the Pot-au-Feu depends on the cut of the meat, the amount of water used and the amount of salt that is used. Only a few rules apply to the vegetables: cabbage is never cooked in the broth, and potatoes (if served) are best boiled separately. Only a few root vegetables are cooked with the meat, the amount being left to the discretion of the cook. At its best, the pot-au-feu should be served with a wide range of condiments from cornichons to French mustard, freshly grated horseradish, and some coarse sea salt sprinkled over the meat and vegetables on each plate. For leftovers, there is nothing better than this dish served cold with a mustardy vinaigrette. Heavenly!
Ingredients
(serves 6)
4 1/2 to 6 lbs boiling beef (short ribs, brisket or chuck)
1 teaspoon of coarse salt for every quart of water used
pinch of peppercorns
bouquet garni: 1 bay leaf, 2 thyme sprigs, 2 parsley sprigs
1garlic bulb
1 onion (stuck with 3 cloves)
1lb carrots, quartered
1lb young turnips, quartered
2 lb leeks, white part only with just a little of the green, tied into 2 bunches
6 celery stalks, strings removed, halved and tied into 2 bunches
1 lb potatoes (optional)
six 1-inch sections of marrow bone (or two 2-in sections tied inside a cloth)
various pickles, a selection of mustards, and coarse salt for serving
Directions
Place the meat in the bottom of a large pot and add enough water to cover by a few inches – use approximately 1 1/2 quarts for every 2 lb of meat. Bring to a boil, skim off any foam that rises, then add the salt. Skim again, then add the peppercorns and all the vegetables except the potatoes. Bring to a gentle boil, cover and cook over very low heat for 3 1/2 to 4 hours. About 30 minutes before the cooking time is up, add the marrow bones and cook the potatoes in boiling salted water.
Lift the mat, the vegetables, and the bag of marrow bones out of the stock and keep warm. Discard the bouquet garni, the garlic and the onion and strain the stock. Leave the stock to rest for 15 minutes, then skim off as much fat as possible.
Reheat the stock and serve as a first course. Place the meat on a large platter, top with the marrow from the marrow bones, surround with vegetables and serve with an assortment of cornichons, vinegar pickles, mustard such as Dijon or Meaux, coarse salt and a little extra stock for those who want to moisten the meat and vegetables.
Serve with boiled new potatoes and a fresh tossed salad with cheese and bread.
Now about those wines
It just seems to me that for wonderful meal like this you need a good red wine, perhaps a young Bordeaux, a Beaujolais or a Burgundy. No doubt in my mind any one of these would be a hit. Here are a few suggestions.
Beaujolais Domaine du Vissoux (Dominique Chermette)
Beaujolais-Villages, Dominique Piron – Chénas, Moulin-à-vent
Mâcon-Village, Nuits-Saint-Georges, Lupé-Cholet
Beaune, Côte-de-Beaune-Villages, Laboure Roi
Côtes-du-Rhône-Villages, Domaine de Mourchon
Alsace, Pinot Noir, Domaine Ostertag
Bandol, Coteaux-du-Languedoc, Château des Estanilles