This is Pellegrino Artusi's , take on classic French Bourgeois cookery: a good pot roast well worth enjoying.
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 2 hours
Ingredients:
- A pot roast (see below for cut and amount)
- A calf's trotter
- Butter
- Onion
- Carrots
- Parsley
- Celery
- Basil
- White wine
Preparation:
Begin with at least 2 1/4 pounds of lean meat from the shoulder or rump of a large animal. Stick it with lardons the size of a finger that have been rolled in salt and pepper. Tie the meat to give it an elegant shape, salt it, and sauté it in a quarter cup of butter. When it has browned, add the following: half a calf's trotter or a piece of a larger cow's trotter, a large onion, whole, two or three whole carrots, a bouquet garnis made with parsley, celery, basil, and other herbs that suit your fancy, a few strips of lard, a brimming cup of water, or, better yet, degreased broth, and, finally, a half cup of white wine or two tablespoons of aquavit. Cover the pot tightly and simmer the meat until it's just done, but not overly cooked. Since the carrots will cook more quickly, remove them before hand so they will remain whole. Discard the herbs, strain the sauce, and degrease it if necessary. Serve the meat, with the trotter, surrounding it with the carrots, cut into rounds. Made properly, this is a light and tasty stew.
"Some stick the onion with cloves," Artusi says, "but this spice should only be eaten by those with strong stomachs. I find shelled beans boiled and reheated with the sauce from the meat to be superior to carrots."
Artusi doesn't suggest a wine. A Chianti Classico Riserva or a Bolgheri Rosso Superiore would be nice here.
"Some stick the onion with cloves," Artusi says, "but this spice should only be eaten by those with strong stomachs. I find shelled beans boiled and reheated with the sauce from the meat to be superior to carrots."
Artusi doesn't suggest a wine. A Chianti Classico Riserva or a Bolgheri Rosso Superiore would be nice here.
