Bœuf à la Mode – French Pot Roast

Bœuf à la Mode is a classic French pot roast braised in red wine, herbs, and aromatics. The rich, fork-tender beef is seasoned, seared, and cooked low and slow for 3-4 hours, depends on the cut of beef you use. This is a delicous yet very easy recipe for when you're too lazy to do much cooking. If you have time, marinate the beef roast with red wine, stock and bouquet garni for a few hours. Don’t skip or rush the initial browning of the beef. This step creates the Maillard reaction, developing deep, complex flavours that form the foundation of the classic French dish. Bon appétit!

	Bouquet Garni
1.6-2 kg Chuck roast 1/3 tsp Ground nutmeg 1 tsp Fine sea salt 1 tsp Freshly milled black pepper 100 g Bacon, cubed 1 tbsp Tallow or lard 2 Shallots, chopped 2 tbsp Tomato paste 1 tbsp Red wine vinegar 500 ml Dry red wine (I used Côtes du Rhône) 500-700 ml Beef stock 400 g Carrot, cut into large chunks 400 g Root celery, cut into large cubes Lemon zest, to garnish 1 tbsp Chopped parsley, to garnish	2 Fresh thyme sprigs 3 Fresh parsley sprigs 2 Bay leaves

Bouquet Garni

1.6-2 kg Chuck roast
1/3 tsp Ground nutmeg
1 tsp Fine sea salt
1 tsp Freshly milled black pepper
100 g Bacon, cubed
1 tbsp Tallow or lard
2 Shallots, chopped
2 tbsp Tomato paste
1 tbsp Red wine vinegar
500 ml Dry red wine (I used Côtes du Rhône)
500-700 ml Beef stock
400 g Carrot, cut into large chunks
400 g Root celery, cut into large cubes
Lemon zest, to garnish
1 tbsp Chopped parsley, to garnish

2 Fresh thyme sprigs
3 Fresh parsley sprigs
2 Bay leaves

Pat the chuck roast dry with paper towels, then rub all over with the ground nutmeg. Sprinkle all sides generously with salt and black pepper. Tie beef securely at intervals with kitchen string.
Warm a Dutch oven or a large casserole dish on medium-low heat, then add the bacon. Sauté, lowering the heat as needed, until crispy and the fat has rendered, about 8 minutes. With a slotted spoon, remove the bacon. Add in tallow. Adjust the heat to medium-high and allow to come to temperature, about 1 minute.
Preheat the oven to 160C/320F. Gently blot any accumulated liquid from the chuck roast with a paper towel, then add the roast to the Dutch oven. Brown on all sides until a deep brown crust forms, about 3-5 minutes per side, then remove the roast and set aside.
Reduce heat to medium and add the chopped shallots, sautéing until translucent, about 3 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste and sauté until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the vinegar and wine and deglaze. Return the bacon to the pot, then add the roast and bouquet garni. Pour enough stock to cover 3/4 of the roast, then bring to a simmer.
Cover the Dutch oven and put it in the oven. Braise until almost tender, about 2-2½ hours. Add the carrots and celery root and cook until tender, another 45-60 minutes.
Gently remove the roast and set aside to rest, covering loosely with tinfoil. Strain the liquid and reserve the bacon and vegetables.
Return the liquid to the Dutch oven and simmer on medium-high heat until reduced by half, 5-7 minutes. As it reduces, remove strings, slice the roast and arrange on a platter with the vegetables. Pour the sauce over the roast and vegetables, then garnish with chopped parsley and lemon zest.

4 comments:

Brian's Home Blog 12/10/26 14:11: Your pot roast sure does look great!
Anonymous 12/10/26 14:19: Looks delicious!-Christine cmlk79.blogspot.com
Tom 12/10/26 14:41: I would LOVE this!!!
DEZMOND 12/10/26 15:19: I have made sweet potato corn flour pie for lunch today and will be making my usual chard mousakka tomorrow as I still have abundance of chard in my garden which fills my heart with joy.