“Otherwise it’s hard, it’s dry…”: our chef shares his tips for making a stew with tender meat!

There are traditional dishes of French cuisine that we never tire of. Classics that appeal to young and old alike. We think in particular of beef bourguignon or even at roast chicken of Sunday. Recently, we shared our tips for preparing a delicious veal blanquette. Today, we’re tackling another family classic: pot-au-feu.

As its name suggests, it is a preparation that is cooked in a pot or a casserole dish and is simply cooked over a fire. The objective is to bring together all the ingredients and cook them in a very aromatic broth. In a Youtube video, chef Christophe revealed his recipe for this emblematic dish. The opportunity for him to also reveal his secrets in order to succeed every time.

So before you get into the kitchen, here is a memo of all the chef’s tips for making it at home like a real pro. And you will see that there is nothing easier.

For the stew, chef Christophe opts for beef. He favors marrow bones, oxtail and other pieces that will require quite a long cooking time. “Ask your butcher for third-category cuts which must cook for a long time and gently” specifies the chef. These pieces contain collagen, a little fat and are very, very tasty.

In the 750g recipe, we find meat such as shank, flank or even a little scoter. But know that you can change the meats according to your desires, “this is not very serious”.

When you have finished peeling your potatoes, you put them in cold water to prevent them from browning. This will eliminate a little bit of starch and allow them to be nicely yellow and your pot au feu to have the right texture.

The base of the stew is undeniably the broth: “It really has to have a lot of flavor.” says chef Christophe. To do this, he reveals a little tip to do with the onion: “We’re going to burn it. You take half an onion into which you stick a clove which you will put in a very hot pan so that it browns very slowly”. Once this step is completed, you will be able to make your broth.

You will then add the studded onion to get the smoky taste. Then also add the carrots, celery, parsley, thyme, bay leaf, leek, a clove of garlic and the oxtail.

Why put the oxtail? First of all, you should know that it is a piece that cooks for quite a long time. It must therefore be incorporated relatively early into the recipe to cook it well. Then, know that by starting the cooking with cold water, you will get the taste of beef which will subsequently come out in the broth. You therefore add it to a little water which you season with 3g of salt per liter and a few grains of pepper. You can then bring everything to a boil.

As soon as it boils, reduce the heat. Afterwards, “we skim to remove all the impurities from the meat. It’s really important. You will repeat this operation throughout the cooking process. Finally, let it simmer for around 1 hour to 1 hour 15 minutes so that the oxtail gives all its flavor and the onion has colored all the broth.

Concerning the marrow bone, “you are going to soak it in a salad bowl with cold water and spirit vinegar for at least 2-3 hours or even overnight. Which will wash it and you will have a very beautiful white bone” says Chef Christophe. Then, remember to wrap this marrow bone in a piece of gas (fabric) that you will tie up. The objective is that the marrow contained in the bone does not go into the broth. “I would then really have a marrow bone with the marrow in it”.

“For good cooking, my meat must have a fairly regular shape so we will simply tie it.” For the quick spinning method, don’t hesitate to watch chef Christophe’s video.

Note, if your meat is a little fatty and a little nervous, do not hesitate to remove some but always leave a little, this will add flavor and as it is a long cooking process we need this collagen.

After 1 hour of cooking and after removing the scum, put your pieces of meat in your broth. Make sure your meats are completely submerged in the liquid. Also be careful to cook at a simmer and never at a boil. “Pot au feu is very slow cooking, very gentle at a simmer. Otherwise your meat is tough, it is dry, it is not very pleasant”.

Try to cut the vegetable pieces to the same size “because we are going to cook them again very gently so that they give flavor to the broth but they must not be overcooked” explains the chef.

For the leeks, remove the green part as it is a little too firm. The best is to bundle them, that is to say, tie them together in a bundle, so that they do not disintegrate in the broth.

Then, about thirty minutes before the meat is finished cooking, add the garnish.

So that the vegetables are cooked in a very humid atmosphere and are very very tender, the chef has his tip: “I’ll use a small, clean cloth and simply place it on top. It will moisten and keep all my cooking in a humid environment”.

Then move on to cooking the potatoes. “I didn’t cook them directly in the broth because I want to keep my broth very, very clear” explains Christophe.

Cold water, a nice pinch of salt and you immerse them in it. It is important that the water is very cold because this will remove some of the starch from the potatoes. They will thus be less mealy, less sticky and much more pleasant in the stew.

Boiling water, thyme, bay leaf, a little salt and you add the bones to cook them. Place them in simmering water. Barely boil for 10-12 minutes.

Then you can arrange everything. Put plenty of broth on your plate to keep your vegetables and meats moist. Then, you will serve with coarse salt, whole-grain mustard and even a few pickles.

Up to you. In the kitchen!