I first learned about baeckoffe—“baker’s oven”—from the great chef (also my friend and sometime coauthor) Jean-Georges Vongerichten, who is from Alsace. It’s one of those ancient unattended dishes given, in a pot, to the communal oven and picked up several hours later. Jean-Georges (like his mother) made it with pork, but when I was in Alsace I had it prepared with pork and lamb, which I liked a bit more. “My” version is below. Baeckoffe is great made in advance; that, combined with its flexible cooking time, makes it a very easy dish to prepare. With a salad and some bread, it makes a pretty relaxed meal for a small crowd. Other cuts of meat you can use here: traditionally, baeckoffe is a combination of slow-cooked meats, so with—or instead of—these two, you can use boneless beef (chuck or brisket is best) or veal.
Recipe information
Yield
makes 4 to 6 servings
Ingredients
Preparation
Step 1
Remove the excess fat from the meat and cut it into 1- to 1 1/2-inch chunks. Preheat the oven to 325°F. In a casserole or terrine with a lid, put half the potatoes, along with some salt and pepper, then half the onions, half the herbs, the meat, the remaining potatoes, onions, and herbs, some more salt and pepper, and finally the liquids.
Step 2
Cover and bake for at least 2 and probably 3 hours or until the meat is very tender.
