Pot-au-feu
Ingredients
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- 2 pounds beef chuck roast – cut into 3–4 large pieces
- 1 1/2 pounds beef shanks, bone-in
- 1 pounds beef marrow bones – rinsed
- 16 cups water
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
- 12 ounces onion – peeled and halved; stud with cloves (~2.5 medium onions)
- 3 cloves whole cloves – for studding onion
- 2 cloves garlic – crushed
- 3 ounces celery – cut into 2–3 large pieces
- 8 stems fresh parsley stems – tied into bouquet garni
- 4 sprigs fresh thyme – tied into bouquet garni
- 2 leaves bay leaves – tied into bouquet garni
- 12 ounces carrots – peeled; left whole or halved (~6 medium carrots)
- 12 ounces turnips – peeled; quartered if large (~3 medium turnips)
- 10 ounces leeks – white and light green parts cleaned and tied into bundles (~2.5 medium leeks)
- 1 1/2 pounds waxy potatoes – peeled if desired; left whole or halved (~17 small fingerling potatos)
- coarse sea salt – for serving
- Dijon mustard – for serving
- cornichons – for serving
- country bread – toasted (for serving)
Instructions
1. Prep the aromatics and meats: Cut the beef chuck roast into 3–4 large pieces. Rinse the beef marrow bones. Peel and halve the onion and stud it with the whole cloves. Lightly crush the garlic cloves. Cut the celery into 2–3 large pieces. Tie the parsley stems, thyme sprigs, and bay leaves into a bouquet garni. Clean the leeks (white and light green parts) well under running water and tie them into one or two bundles. Peel the carrots and turnips (quarter turnips if large). Scrub or peel the potatoes and leave them whole or halved.
2. Build the base: Place the beef chuck roast pieces, beef shanks, and beef marrow bones in a large, heavy pot and add the water. Bring slowly to a bare simmer over medium heat, 30–40 minutes, skimming foam and impurities as they rise so the broth stays clear.
3. Flavor and gently simmer: Add the onion (studded with cloves), crushed garlic, celery, bouquet garni, whole black peppercorns, and kosher salt. Reduce to a gentle simmer, partially cover, and cook 2 hours, skimming occasionally; keep the surface barely trembling, not boiling.
4. Add sturdy vegetables: Add the carrots and turnips and continue to simmer until nearly tender, 45–60 minutes, until a knife meets slight resistance.
5. Finish with tender vegetables: Add the leeks and potatoes and simmer until the potatoes are tender when pierced and the meats are spoon-tender but not falling apart, 30–40 minutes.
6. Serve: Transfer the meats, bones, and vegetables to a warmed platter. Strain the broth into a clean pot and keep at a bare simmer. Ladle some hot broth into bowls as a first course if desired. Spoon the marrow from the bones onto the toasted country bread and sprinkle with a little coarse sea salt. Serve the meats and vegetables moistened with some broth, with Dijon mustard and cornichons alongside.
Pot-au-Feu is France’s beloved boiled dinner: a clear, fragrant beef broth gently cooked with a selection of marrow-rich bones, flavorful cuts, and a parade of root and allium vegetables. The broth tastes clean and savory, perfumed with thyme, bay, and pepper, while the meats turn tender and the vegetables keep their shape. Traditionally it’s a generous, family-style meal with multiple textures on the table—silky marrow on toast, tender beef, sweet carrots and leeks, and a steaming bowl of golden consommé-like broth.
Historically, Pot-au-Feu was a cornerstone of French home cooking, with a pot kept at a slow simmer through the colder months, refreshed with meat and vegetables as needed. The technique—starting in cold water, skimming diligently, and simmering very gently—reflects centuries of practice aimed at clarity and depth of flavor. Over time it became both peasant staple and bourgeois comfort, served in two services: the broth as a soup first, then the meats and vegetables presented with coarse salt, mustard, and cornichons.