Pièce de Bœuf à la Flamande

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •5 to 6-quart (4.7 to 5.7 L) heavy cocotte or Dutch oven fitted closely to the beef
• •4-quart (3.8 L) covered ovenproof casserole for the cabbage
• •Two 2-quart (1.9 L) saucepans for glazing the roots
• •Instant-read thermometer
• •Fine-mesh sieve
• •Large warmed oval serving platter

Instructions

1. 1

   Braise the beef

   Prepare the larded beef through Ordinary Braisings (No. 247), scaled to the three-pound roast and cooked in a vessel that holds it closely. That cross-referenced preparation remains whole here: its larding, marinade, browning, fond, aromatics, moistening, and basting supply the foundation of this dish. Guard its heat. The liquor should barely move; if it has boiled hard, pull the pot from the oven, lower the temperature, add up to ½ cup (120 ml / 120 g) hot consommé if the liquor is short, and continue gently. Ça se rattrape. The roast is ready when a narrow knife enters without resistance. Reserve 2 cups (475 ml / 475 g) of gravy and 3 tablespoons (45 ml / 40 g) of stock-fat, then keep the beef covered in a little liquor.

   If the knife still meets resistance, the beef is underdone, not ruined. Cover it and continue braising gently for twenty minutes before checking again.
2. 2

   Prepare the cabbage

   During the final hour and three-quarters of the beef braise, take the cabbage and pork prepared through Blanchings (No. 273). Separate the cabbage quarters leaf by leaf, cut away the thick ribs, and season with half the salt and pepper. Divide the leaves into eight loose portions of about 3 ounces (85 g) each. Press each portion briefly in the corner of a clean towel to form a compact heap; perfect spheres require another pair of hands and add no flavor.

3. 3

   Braise the garnish

   Set the quartered carrot, the onion studded with the clove, and the bouquet garni in a snug covered casserole. Arrange the cabbage portions over them, then add the blanched pork in one piece and the raw garlic sausage. Pour in the reserved stock-fat and enough hot consommé to barely cover, about 3 to 4 cups (710 to 950 ml / 710 to 950 g). Bring just to the boil, cover, and cook beside the beef in a 325°F (165°C) oven for 1½ hours. The cabbage should become tender without collapsing. If the pan dries before then, add a little hot consommé; if it bubbles fiercely, lower the heat at once. At the end, the sausage must reach at least 160°F (71°C) at its center.

4. 4

   Glaze the roots

   Put the garnish carrots and turnips into separate small saucepans so each can finish in its own time. Add enough consommé to cover each vegetable, season lightly with the remaining salt and pepper, and simmer gently until nearly tender. Uncover and reduce the consommé until it coats the vegetables in a clear glaze. If the liquid disappears before a knife enters easily, add another splash of consommé. If the vegetables soften first, lift them out, reduce their liquor alone, then return them and roll the pan until every piece gleams. The even cutting matters because it gives you even cooking; the brigade's perfect olive shapes do not.

5. 5

   Cook à l'anglaise

   Place the peeled potatoes in a saucepan, cover generously with cold water, and salt the water until it tastes properly seasoned. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook until a narrow knife passes through the centers, about 18 to 25 minutes depending on size. Drain thoroughly, then return the potatoes to the warm dry pan for one minute so their surfaces lose excess water. Keep them whole and plain. That is à l'anglaise, and beside the pork-rich cabbage and concentrated gravy, plainness is exactly their work.

6. 6

   Reduce the gravy

   Spoon every visible trace of fat from the reserved braising gravy before reducing it; fat left behind will make the finished sauce oily rather than glossy. Simmer the gravy in a small saucepan until reduced by roughly half and thick enough to coat the back of a spoon in a clear film. Strain it through a fine sieve. If it tastes too strong or salty before reaching that consistency, add ½ cup (120 ml / 120 g) unsalted consommé and reduce more gently. If beads of fat return, stop and skim again. Never try to boil the grease into submission.

7. 7

   Arrange the platter

   Discard the onion, carrot, clove, and bouquet garni from the cabbage casserole. Lift out the bacon and sausage, cut the bacon into small rectangles, and slice the sausage into thick roundels. Set the whole beef joint in the center of a warmed oval platter. Surround it with alternating heaps of cabbage, glazed carrots, glazed turnips, and potatoes à l'anglaise, then distribute the bacon and sausage around the ring. Brush the beef with one spoonful of gravy for sheen and serve the rest separately in a warm sauceboat. Generous, orderly, and unmistakably supper. À table!

Chef Tips

• •Choose an evenly shaped boneless rump or top round joint, the lean sort of beef the original larding protects during a long braise. Ask the butcher to lard it if that service is available; otherwise, the home method in Ordinary Braisings uses a narrow boning knife or metal skewer to open channels for the seasoned fat.
• •Use low-sodium beef consommé with enough body to set softly when chilled. This dish reduces consommé twice, first around the vegetables and again in the gravy, so an aggressively salted tin becomes harsh long before it becomes glossy.
• •The sausage should be raw pork seasoned with garlic, not a smoked sausage. Smoke would dominate the cabbage and turn a supporting garnish into the loudest thing on the platter.
• •A dry bière de garde suits the northern larder beautifully. If wine is wanted, pour a supple red with bright acidity and modest oak; the cabbage, pork, and reduced gravy need freshness more than weight.

Advance Preparation

• •The Ordinary Braisings (No. 247) component may be completed up to two days ahead. Cool the beef in its liquor, chill it covered, and lift away the solid fat before reheating gently. Reserve enough clean stock-fat for the cabbage.
• •The cabbage and pork may be prepared through Blanchings (No. 273) one day ahead, drained well, and kept covered in the cold. The full cabbage braise may also be finished ahead and reheated, covered, in its liquor.
• •Cut and glaze the carrots and turnips several hours before serving, then reheat them in their reduced consommé. Cook the potatoes à l'anglaise near serving time, since chilled potatoes lose their soft, floury surface.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 1000g)