Pot Au Feu Recipe (French Beef Stew)

Pot Au Feu Recipe (French Beef Stew)

I don’t make pot-au-feu very often but I felt like giving myself a treat today. I made the French-style beef stew using oxtail bones. The dish looks very rustic and doesn’t require exquisite cuts of meat. The oxtail pieces provide a nice texture thanks to their gelatin content. The gravy consists of turnip, carrots, celery, leeks and onions. I also added a few fresh sprigs of fragrant herbs, clove and a bottle of good drinking wine.

The meat was so tender and fell off the bone so easily that it was difficult to gather a whole piece into the serving dish. It was my daughter’s first pot-au-feu and I can tell she’s going to have many more. After her first bite she said “miam miam” (French for yum yum)!

1. Info for Pot Au Feu Recipe (French Beef Stew)

2. Ingredients for Pot Au Feu Recipe (French Beef Stew)

3. Directions:

  1. Preheat the oven to 425°F.
  2. In a pot, soak the oxtails in about a quart of water with 1 tablespoon of salt overnight. The next day, rinse the bones, place them in a pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil and cook for 3-4 minutes. Drain the water. Rinse the meat under running water and set aside. Pat dry.
  3. Transfer the oxtails to a baking pan. Season with salt and pepper and roast at 425°F for 15 minutes. Lower the temperature to 275°F and cook for an additional 10 minutes.
  4. Meanwhile, prepare the gravy. Preheat a slow cooker (set on low mode, cook time “2 hours”). Note: You could also make the meat stew in a heavy-bottomed pan and cook until the meat is tender.
  5. In a large heavy-bottomed pan, heat about 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Add the onions, leeks and bouquet garni. Cook on high heat until slightly golden. Lower the heat to medium-low and cook until soft and tender, about 10 minutes. Transfer the caramelized onions, leeks and bouquet garni to the slow cooker.
  6. In the pan, add the garlic. Cook until slightly golden and add the bay leaf, celery, carrots and turnips. Allow to brown on each side. Add ½ to 1 cup of water. Scrape the caramelized bits from the bottom of the pan using a wooden spoon (called deglazing). Once the liquid is evaporated, add the oxtails, tomatoes, wine, beef stock and papaya paste. Bring to a boil, then transfer everything to the slow cooker. Season with salt.
  7. Cover the slow cooker with a lid and let simmer for 2 hours (or 3 hours on the stove).
  8. Serve warm with steamed vegetables, toasted bread, steamed potatoes, mashed potatoes or pasta. Garnish with parsley.
  9. Bon appétit!
  10. Note: The stew tastes even better the following day!

4. Tips and advices:

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