flipBœuf à la mode pour le dîner de l'Institut
Bœuf à la mode pour le dîner de l'Institut
Why this dish? Elected to the Academy of Sciences and then member of the Institut de France, Legendre took part in the fraternal dinners of scholars. Boeuf à la mode—a piece of beef larded with bacon, braised in wine and carrots—was THE great bourgeois Sunday and gathering dish, affordable but ceremonial, which reigned at the relevé course.
A piece of beef larded, braised for hours with a calf's foot, wine, carrots and a bouquet of aromatics, until meltingly tender and coated in a sauce that sets into jelly as it cools.
When my colleagues of the Institut gathered, this beef did honour to the table without ruining anyone—a virtue I hold dear. One lards it with bacon at daybreak, abandons it to its gentle fire all morning, and it becomes so tender that a spoon can part it. I love that the sauce sets into jelly the next day: nothing is lost, and cold reveals all its sap. A good demonstration, like a good braise, takes time and must never be rushed.
- •Piece of beef (shin or chuck) — a large piece (braising meat)
- •Fat bacon — enough to lard (internal fat and tenderness)
- •Calf's foot — one (gelatinous binder)
- •Red wine — a pint (aromatic liquid)
- •Carrots — a dozen (sweet garnish)
- •Onion studded with cloves — one (aromatic)
- •Bouquet (thyme, bay, parsley) — one (flavour)
Bœuf à la mode pour le dîner de l'Institut
A piece of beef larded, braised for hours with a calf's foot, wine, carrots and a bouquet of aromatics, until meltingly tender and coated in a sauce that sets into jelly as it cools.
Why this dish? Elected to the Academy of Sciences and then member of the Institut de France, Legendre took part in the fraternal dinners of scholars. Boeuf à la mode—a piece of beef larded with bacon, braised in wine and carrots—was THE great bourgeois Sunday and gathering dish, affordable but ceremonial, which reigned at the relevé course.
When my colleagues of the Institut gathered, this beef did honour to the table without ruining anyone—a virtue I hold dear. One lards it with bacon at daybreak, abandons it to its gentle fire all morning, and it becomes so tender that a spoon can part it. I love that the sauce sets into jelly the next day: nothing is lost, and cold reveals all its sap. A good demonstration, like a good braise, takes time and must never be rushed.
Ingredients (period version)
- Piece of beef (shin or chuck) — a large piece (braising meat)
- Fat bacon — enough to lard (internal fat and tenderness)
- Calf's foot — one (gelatinous binder)
- Red wine — a pint (aromatic liquid)
- Carrots — a dozen (sweet garnish)
- Onion studded with cloves — one (aromatic)
- Bouquet (thyme, bay, parsley) — one (flavour)
Ingredients
- Beef chuck or shin — 1.5 kg (braising meat)
- Smoked streaky bacon lardons — 150 g (internal fat)
- Split calf's foot — 1 (gelatinous binder)
- Full-bodied red wine — 50 cl (liquid)
- Carrots — 8 to 10 (sweet garnish)
- Onion studded with 2 cloves — 1 (aromatic)
- Bouquet garni — 1 (flavour)
- Beef broth — 50 cl (liquid)
- Salt, pepper — to taste (seasoning)
Method
- Lard the beef with bacon lardons (or insert them into incisions).
- Sear it on all sides in a casserole with a little fat, until coloured.
- Add the calf's foot, studded onion, bouquet, moisten with wine and broth, season.
- Cover and braise over very low heat for 3 hours.
- Add the carrots cut into chunks, continue for 1 hour until the meat is meltingly tender.
- Serve hot, coated with sauce, or let cool: the sauce sets into jelly, delicious cold the next day.
How it was made : Boeuf à la mode is attested from the 18th century in all bourgeois cookbooks. It was braised in a "daubière" by the hearth. The calf's foot provided the collagen that made the jelly set—a refinement sought after in an era without industrial gelatine.
The contemporary twist : Serve a cold slice in jelly, cut cleanly with a knife, on a slate: "Orthogonal Beef," a tribute to the geometer's right angles.
Sources : Menon, La Cuisinière bourgeoise, 1746 · Marin, Les Dons de Comus, 1739
Adrien-Marie Legendre · Charactorium
