Boeuf à la mode

• Boeuf à la mode or Beef à la mode is a French dish made using tough cuts of beef braised in stock and wine, which was very popular especially in Victorian times in England.

• It would go down well in Poland as this slow cooking of tougher beef is very popular.

• This recipe is based on one found in:

  All About Cookery New Edition by Mrs Beeton, published by Ward Lock Ltd in 1911

• Originally the brisket was larded – fat introduced inside – here fatty bacon is placed on top whilst it is cooking.

• A large dish with a lid such as a Dutch Oven would have been used.

• Here the dish was cooked in a Slow cooker.

• Everyone thought this beef was wonderful.

Ingredients

Piece of brisket – around 1.4 kilo

4 slices of fatty streaky bacon

2-3 large tablespoons of butter

2 tablespoons of plain flour

2 onions – 1 diced – 1 sliced

3 large carrots

6 – 8 celery celery stalks

250ml of red wine

500ml of chicken stock

2 cloves

4 allspice grains

6 peppercorns

1 bouquet garni

Juice of ½ a lemon

Salt

*

Cornflour to thicken the gravy – optional

Method

Place the meat in a basin with the wine, the diced onion, lemon juice, cloves, allspice, the bouquet garni, peppercorn and salt.

Leave in the marinade for at least 2 hours, basting occasionally.

*

Have ready a slow cooker large enough for the meat.

Peel and chop the carrots into thick chunks.

Cut the celery stalks into thirds or quarters.

Put the carrots and celery into the slow cooker.

*

Melt the butter in a large frying pan.

Drain the meat from the marinade.

Brown the meat on all sides.

Place the meat into the slow cooker.

Add strips of bacon to the top.

Fix them with cocktail sticks.

*

Lightly fry the sliced onion in the same pan used for the meat.

Add the flour to the fried onions and heat till brown.

*

Strain the marinade liquid from the onions and spices.

Add the onions and spices to the slow cooker.

*

Add the marinade liquid to the flour and onions.

Heat gently and stir till boiling.

Add the stock and heat till boiling again.

Pour the mixture over the meat.

*

Cover the pot and cook for around 6 hours.

Lower the heat and cook for another 2 hours.

Depending on the slow cooker timings might need to be adjusted.

*

(Original was cooked in an oven for 3 hours).

*

Take the meat and carrots out and put on a warmed platter to serve.

Cut the meat into thick slices when serving.

Strain the rest of the cooking liquid to serve as a gravy.

This can be thickened with cornflour if necessary.

*

Mashed potatoes go well with this – to mop up all the gravy!