Provencal Pot au Feu a Traditional Recipe from France
©Francois de Melogue Beef · François de Mélogue · Main Course · Pork · Provencal Recipes · TasteGrowing up, the beginning of winter was marked by the first pot au feu appearing on our table. My mother’s version is more traditional and typical of what you would find in most homes. It is made with different cuts of beef that are slowly simmered together. The vegetables are cooked afterward in the resulting broth, then served together on a giant platter at the table with cornichon, horseradish sauce, tomato sauce, and mustard.

Traditional Pot au Feu from Provence
My mother’s traditional Pot au Feu is typical of what you would find in most Provençal homes. It is made with different cuts of beef that are slowly simmered together and served on a giant platter at the table with traditional condiments.
Equipment
Ingredients
For the Beef and Broth:
- 3 lbs beef short ribs or shanks or oxtails
- 2 lbs beef brisket
- 1 sweet onion cut in half, studded with 6 cloves, then charred under your broiler
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 bunch winter savory
- 1 large sprig fresh thyme
- 1 tbsp herbes de Provence
- 1 tbsp sea salt
- 1 tsp black peppercorns
- 2 star anise
- 1 stick cinnamon
- 1 head garlic
For the Vegetables:
- 4 leeks white and light green parts, cut into 3-inch lengths, halved, and washed well
- 8 thin carrots halved and cut into 3-inch lengths
- 8 small turnips peeled and left whole, or 4 medium turnips, cut in half
For the Pork Broth, Potatoes, and Cabbage:
- 8 cups cold water
- 10 oz salted pork (petit salé) meaty
- 8 small potatoes
- 1/4 head cabbage use green cabbage
For the Horseradish Sauce:
- 1/4 cup breadcrumbs
- 8 marrow bones canoe-cut, or 8 slices of poached bone marrow. See notes.
- fleur de sel
- 1/4 cup fresh parsley
- whole grain mustard
- Dijon mustard
- cornichons (pickles)
- 1 cup tomato sauce Use whatever recipe you have.
Instructions
Prepare the Beef and Beef Broth:
- In a large stockpot or Dutch oven, combine the short ribs and brisket, cover with cold water, and bring to a rapid boil over high heat. With tongs, transfer the meat to a large bowl and discard the water (this is done to create a clear broth). Rinse out the pot, return the meat to the pot, and add the onion, bay leaf, savory, thyme, herbes de Provence, salt, peppercorns, star anise, cinnamon, and garlic. Add cold water to cover everything by 1 inch.
- Bring to a gentle boil over medium-high heat. As soon as it boils, reduce the heat so it barely simmers (see Notes below). Cook until the meat is so tender that a knife passes through it with no resistance, about 3 hours.
- Place a fine mesh strainer over a large bowl and strain the meat, keeping both the liquid and the beef. Discard the vegetables. Transfer the beef to a warm platter.
Prepare the Pork Broth, Potatoes, and Cabbage:
- In a saucepot, combine the water and salt pork and bring to a rapid boil over high heat. Remove any scum that floats to the top, then reduce the heat so it is barely simmering and cook for 1.5 hours. 30 minutes before the beef is done, add the potatoes and cabbage to the pork broth and cook until they are tender, about 15 minutes. Remove and keep them warm.
- Strain the meat and vegetables out, keeping the liquid for another use. Save the salt pork for another dish. Transfer the vegetables to the serving platter.
Prepare the Vegetables:
- About 30 minutes before the beef is done, wrap the leeks in cheesecloth and drop them, along with the carrots and turnips, into the beef broth. Simmer for 30 minutes or until tender. Remove all vegetables and arrange them on the platter.
Prepare the Horseradish Sauce:
- While the beef is simmering, put all the ingredients in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade and puree for 20 seconds. Taste and adjust the seasonings.
To Serve:
- Elegantly arrange all the vegetables and meat on a serving platter. Traditionally, the broth is served first with marrow toast sprinkled with parsley. Then, the meat and vegetables are passed around for everyone to help themselves. More broth is ladled over, and diners may customize their bowls as they like with horseradish sauce, tomato sauce, mustard, and cornichons.
Notes
Canoe-cut marrow bones are easy to find nowadays. I like to roast the roast the bones seasoned with salt and pepper for 15 minutes at 400ºF before serving.Tip: The object here is to cook the meat and broth so ridiculously slow that the stock remains crystal clear. Boiling makes broth cloudy.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
More Pot au Feu Recipes
Pot au Feu: A Classic Provençal Recipe
Traditionally, the stew is served in 2 services. Meat and vegetables first, then the broth and the bread.
Check out this recipe
Pot au Feu for Cold Weather Days in Provence
This is a very traditional French main meal. Like a stew, pot-au-feu is easy to make, and you can vary the ingredients depending on what you have in the fridge. Traditionally, this dish is served in two courses. The marrow is spread on crusty bread and served with the broth, and then the meat and vegetables are served in the second serving.
Check out this recipe
Legal
All rights reserved. Perfectly Provence articles and other content may not be published, broadcast, rewritten (including translations into other languages) or redistributed without written permission. For usage information, please contact us.
Syndication InformationAffiliate Information
As an Amazon Associate, this website earns from qualifying purchases. Some recipes, posts and pages may have affiliate links. If you purchase via these links, we receive a small commission that does not impact your price. Thank you in advance for supporting our work to maintain Perfectly Provence.
Related Provence Articles
Spanish Paella in Provence
November 18, 2019
Although paella is considered a Spanish dish it is very common to find it at markets in Provence. The vendor cooks up their version of this hearty rice dish in a paellera. The exact cooking time will depend on your ingredients and how long the rice takes to cook.…
Grilled Lamb Shoulder with Lemon, Garlic and Rosemary
November 21, 2022
Colder weather in Provence, or anywhere else, is the perfect excuse for making hearty dishes and serving wines that complement the earthy flavours. Below is a recipe for grilled lamb shoulder with a lemon, garlic, and rosemary infusion from author, chef, and journalist Susan Herrmann Loomis. This recipe comes from her cookbook French Grill: 125 Refined …
Wheat Berry Risotto with Vegetables a Vegetarian Main Course
January 11, 2024
This recipe for Cremoso de Mote is my soft wheat berry risotto variation. It is a dish that we ate twice while visiting Easter Island in 2019. Soft wheat berries (trigo mote) are cooked risotto-style, then sautéed vegetables are added. I didn’t get an exact recipe from the chef, but he gave me a list …
Collection of Provence Winter Recipes and Menus for Easy Entertaining
January 10, 2025
During the winter months, create the mood for a dinner party with a beautiful table setting that includes crisp linens and romantic candlelight. We crave warm soups, slow-cooked meals, and a sweet finish in the year’s colder months. This recipe collection combines the season’s typical flavours in Provence. It Includes 20 easy-to-follow recipes and a …
No Comment