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Beef Simmered With Vegetables
(Pot-au-feu)
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| What You Need: |
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3-pound boneless beef rump, bottom round, brisket or chuck roast, tied
3 pounds beef marrow bones, sawed into 3-inch pieces
1 veal knuckle, sawed into pieces
1½ to 2 quarts beef stock, fresh or canned
2 tablespoons butter
2 whole onions, peeled
2 carrots, scraped and cut in half 1 medium tomato, peeled, seeded and coarsely chopped
Bouquet garni made of 4 parsley sprigs, 1 bay leaf and 1 leek (white part plus 2 inches of green), tied together
½ teaspoon dried thyme, crumbled
6 peppercorns
1 teaspoon salt
THE VEGETABLE GARNISH
6 carrots, peeled and cut in 1½-inch-long cylinders or oval shapes
3 or 4 white turnips, peeled and quartered or cut in chunks
3 parsnips, peeled and quartered
6 leeks, white part plus 2 inches of green, tied in a bundle (optional)
2 pounds cabbage, cored and cut in wedges (optional)
6 firm, boiling-type potatoes, unpeeled if new (optional)
8 tablespoons butter, melted
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley
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| How To Cook: |
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1. In a 6- to 8-quart saucepan or soup kettle, combine the beef, bones, knuckle and beef stock. The stock should rise about 4 inches above the meat; add more stock or water if needed. Bring to a boil over high heat.
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2. Meanwhile, melt the butter in a heavy 6- to 8-inch skillet, and cook the onions and carrots over moderate heat, turning them occasionally, until they are lightly colored. When the stock begins to boil, carefully skim all the foam and scum from the surface.
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3. Reduce the heat to low, skim the stock again and add the onions and carrots, chopped tomato, and the herbs and seasonings. Skim again. Partially cover the pot and simmer as slowly as possible, skimmingwhen necessary, for 2½ hours,or until the meatis almost tender when pierced with the tip of a sharp knife.
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4. Transfer the meat to a plate, remove the bones from the stock and scoop out the marrow with the point of a knife before discarding them. Set the marrow aside in a bowl.
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5. THE VEGETABLE GARNISH: Strain the stock through a fine sieve lined with a double layer of cheesecloth into a large bowl. Discard the vegetables and skim the surface fat from the stock. Wash and dry the pot, then return the stock to it. Return the meat to the pot and add the garnish of carrots, turnips, parsnips and leeks. Bring the stock to a boil and cook uncovered over moderate heat for 30 minutes, or until the meat and vegetables are tender.
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6. If the vegetables cook faster than the meat, remove them from the pot and cook the meat until it is tender; then return the vegetables to the pot and heat them through.
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7. If you plan to serve cabbage with Pot-au-feu, blanch it by plunging it into a kettle of boiling salted water and cooking it over high heat for 8 minutes. Drain the cabbage and add it to the meat and vegetables in the pot after they have cooked for 20 minutes.
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8. If you plan to serve potatoes with the Pot-au-feu, place them in a 2- to 3-quart saucepan, cover them with boiling water and cook them uncovered over moderately high heat for 20 to 30 minutes, or until tender. Drain the potatoes and keep them warm, but do not add them to the pot.
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9. When the meat and vegetables are done, transfer the meat to a carving board, remove the strings and carve the roast into ¼-inch slices. Arrange the slices attractively, overlapping slightly, on a heated platter, surrounded by the vegetables and potatoes. Sprinkle melted butter over the vegetables and set aside. Chop the marrow into fine dice and add it to the stock in the pot.
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10. Serve the meat and vegetables and accompany them if you like with cupfuls or a tureen of the cooking stock, first thoroughly degreased. Or you may serve the stock-sprinkled with a little chopped fresh parsley-as a main course.
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