Pot au Feu and Other Slow-Cooked Beef

Y'ever have one of those "meh...feh" kind of days? Well, today was that way for me. I didn't sleep well and when I woke up, the thick, impassable cloud cover (the kind that stays all day) left me mentally demotivated and physically cold. I fought hard against the ennui. I made sure my normal routine went off like German clockwork, had a sweet little Valentine's Day card exchange with mi esposo...and I even got myself suited up and went "sort-of" jogging at Lakeview Cemetery (the ankle I sprained this fall is fine while walking but I still run with a pathetic, reeling gait)

Lakeview was a highlight, of sorts, to the day. I'm honestly not nurturing some macabre streak by lurking in the local cemetery...the whole layout was set up in the 1800's to double as a park (they used to take streetcars full of city-dwelling picnickers from the heart of downtown Cleveland out there for a Sunday getaway), and a lovely park it is. Lakeview Cemetery (http://www.lakeviewcemetery.com/interest.html) is a veritable arboretum and bird sanctuary. I love the stillness...I only saw one other jogger and a hard-working red-tailed hawk on the hunt. On my way back to the car, I happened on Elliot Ness' final resting place. I didn't even know he was buried there.

Home again, I couldn't shake the chill of the afternoon outdoors. I was certain Pot au Feu would be the remedy. Pot au Feu which translates to something like "pot on the fire" is a traditional French recipe that is sort of a cross between corned beef and Yankee Pot Roast. I've never made it before, but figured I should know my way around all the French classics, so I today was the day to put this in my repertoire. Of course, the house smelled divine, with beef shoulder and a host of root vegetables simmering away on the stovetop for the better part of 2 1/2 hours.

So how is it like and unlike corned beef and pot roast? Well, it is generously salted like corned beef, boiled like corned beef, and NOT served within its own cooking liquid like corned beef. It is a different cut of beef, though. Similar to pot roast, the cooking liquid is best enhanced with some wine and garlic. Pot Roasts can be made from a variety of beef cuts, but often uses chuck or rump roast...and I find the best pot roasts are done in a low-temp oven or in a crock pot. And of course, pot roast uses less cooking liquid which you can further reduce and thicken into a gravy before serving. I think that Pot au Feu actually cooks out to be fairly leaner than both other recipes, as well. Corned beef is often left with a generous amount of fat on it for flavor and pot roast relies on the fat in the meat to break down and tenderize the otherwise tough cut as it slow-cooks. With the Pot au Feu, I trimmed my beef before cooking and skimmed my cooking liquid throughout. It was quite lean but still adequately tender.

But the main difference between Pot au Feu and those other famous slow-cooked beef recipes is the dijon-horseradish sauce served with the beef. The sauce really made the dish, but I would actually plan on being sort of miserly with the sauce next time, or weakening it a bit. Dijon and horseradish both have a tendency to overpower...and I like to really taste the beef, especially if I just spent 2 1/2 hours tending to it. And in the French tradition, I have saved the cooking broth. That's a protein-rich yet light lunch for later in the week. (or for the dogs...they're spoiled, you know)

Did Pot au Feu cure my winter doldrums? No, I'm still having one of those lazy days. But I'm glad I now have another variation on the slow-cooked beef theme in my recipe book. Plus, you get to feel a little fancy and Continental when you say you are making, "Pot au Feu"...it sounds pretty grand, although (shhh!) it couldn't be easier to do. And finally, I know I ate a protein-rich, veggie-rich dinner made from scratch that will nutritionally bolster me to deal with the frozen Cleveland landscape again tomorrow with better energy.