Boeuf à la mode

"Boeuf à la mode" ("beef in the style") is a French version of what is often known in the United States as pot roast. It is a way to prepare a tougher cut of beef (rich in connective tissue, and in older recipes often lardoned). The dish is prepared by first browning a cut of beef in oil or bacon fat. Some recipes will add a preliminary marinating step where the beef is marinated in a combination of wine and brandy prior to the browning of the beef.

The browned beef is then braised in a liquid composed primarily of red wine to which garlic and root vegetables (usually celery, carrots and onions) and herbs such as thyme, bay, or celery seed are added. Many recipes add tomatoes or canned tomato sauce to the red wine, while others add beef broth and/or brandy or other distilled spirits. In some older recipes the addition of a calves foot or soup bones would add gelatin to the braising liquid, which would make the resulting sauce thicker.

To prepare the dish, the beef is cooked then set aside to cool. Meanwhile, the braising liquid is strained and reduced into a sauce. The beef is then sliced and served with the sauce made from the braising liquid.

External links

* [http://www.astray.com/recipes/?show=Beef%20a%20la%20mode Beef ala Mode] from Astray recipes

ee also

*Cuisine of France