Pot-Au-Feu

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1. 1Step 1: Ask your butcher to tie the pieces of beef together with string, leaving a long tail so you can easily remove the meat from the broth before straining it. Tie the string to the handle of your pot.
2. 2Step 2: Use beef cheek for tenderness, and chuck oxtail, and marrow bones for depth of flavor.
3. 3Step 3: Rub marrow bones with coarse salt before submerging them in water. Add them to the pot 45 minutes before the end of cooking.
4. 4Step 4: Start pot-au-feu with cold water.
5. 5Step 5: Cook for at least six hours for truly tender meat.
6. 6Step 6: Keep the heat as low as your stove allows for a long, slow simmer.
7. 7Step 7: Add celery stalks and parsley stems for flavor.
8. 8Step 8: For the broth, simmer the meat with vegetable trimmings (peels, greens, roots, herbs). Add the vegetables you plan to serve with the meat about an hour before serving.
9. 9Step 9: Include potatoes if desired (they are not original but taste good).
10. 10Step 10: Make a vinaigrette with 1 tablespoon vinegar to 2 tablespoons oil, a pinch of salt, and 1 teaspoon mustard. Use red wine vinegar and neutral oil if you prefer.
11. 11Step 11: Add chopped parsley to the vinaigrette; dill works well too.
12. 12Step 12: After drizzling the pot-au-feu with vinaigrette, add thinly sliced pickles.
13. 13Step 13: Spread marrow from the bones onto toasted country bread with a pinch of fleur de sel and a grind of fresh black pepper.
14. 14Step 14: For leftovers, make a sandwich: take a baguette, shred the meat, drizzle with vinaigrette, and sprinkle with dill if available.