Recipe courtesy of Jean Luc Keifer
Le Backeoffe
- Level: Intermediate
- Yield: 6 to 8 servings
- Total: 3 hr 29 min
- Prep: 35 min
- Inactive: 24 min
- Cook: 2 hr 30 min
Ingredients
4 sprigs flat-leaf parsley
3 sprigs fresh thyme
1 bay leaf
2 pounds onions, thinly sliced
1 pound pork shoulder, cut into 3-inch cubes
1 pound beef chuck, cut into 3-inch cubes
1 pound lamb shoulder, cut into 3-inch cubes
1 pound carrots, thinly sliced
4 ham hocks
1 head garlic (about 20 cloves), peeled and thinly sliced
2 bottles Riesling, preferably Alsatian
Unsalted butter for the baking dish, plus 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
4 pounds waxy-style potatoes, thinly sliced
3 leeks, thinly sliced
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Small amount of bread dough (optional)
1 large egg, beaten (optional)
Directions
Special equipment:
Large, oval earthenware baking dish with lid- Using a piece of kitchen twine, tie together the parsley, thyme, and bay leaf into a bundle.
- In a large non-reactive bowl, combine the onions, pork, beef, lamb, carrots, ham hocks, garlic, and herb bundle. Pour in the wine, stir to combine, and let marinate in the refrigerator for 24 hours.
- Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
- Butter the inside of the baking dish. Strain then separate the meat and vegetables; reserve the wine.
- In the baking dish, layer half of the vegetables, potatoes, leeks and all the meat, seasoning each layer with salt and pepper, to taste. Repeat with the remaining vegetables, potatoes, and leeks. Pour over the reserved wine from marinade. Dot the top with the 6 tablespoons of butter.
- Cover the baking dish with the lid. Roll the bread dough, if using, into a rope the circumference of the baking dish. Press the dough rope around the edge of the lid, pressing it slightly to seal. Brush the bread with some of the beaten egg. Bake for 2 1/2 hours.
- Remove the bread, uncover, and serve immediately.