Baeckeoffe

baeckeoffe

When I think of casseroles, I imagine layers and layers of meats and vegetables slowly cooking together until fork tender. Baeckeoffe is that casserole; it beats all other casseroles. Beef, lamb, and pork are combined with onions, leeks, and carrots, then drowned in wine, and slowly braised for hours in the oven until just perfect. Baeckeoffe, which translates to baker's oven, originates from Alsace, France, a region that has changed hands many times between France and Germany. In many ways, especially gastronomically, it maintains a German identity. Here you will find beer, sausages, sauerkraut, and vineyards growing typical German grapes like Riesling and Gewürztraminer. Many dishes are specific to this region, Baeckeoffe being one of its most famous traditional foods.

The most appealing features of the dish are its minimum supervision to make and ability to feed a large, busy family—of particular interest in olden times. As the story goes, Alsatian women would drop off their casseroles with the local baker on Monday, which was the day set aside for doing laundry. The baker, who may have had many casseroles in his oven at one time, used a rope of dough between the rim and lid of each casserole to form a tight seal and keep in moisture. The low, steady temperature of the baker's oven was the ideal environment for cooking the Baeckeoffe. Once the women finished their chores, the children returned from school, and the husbands returned from work, the casseroles would be ready for retrieval from the baker.

The key step in making Baeckeoffe is to marinate the three types of meats and vegetables overnight with Riesling, allowing the meats to be permeated with its fruity flavors. The Baeckeoffe is ready for baking the next morning. But first, thin slices of Yukon gold potatoes line the bottom of the pot, followed by the marinated mixture, covered with more potato slices. Waxy potatoes such as Yukon gold or red-skinned work the best, because they keep their shape during the long cooking time. Another bottle of Riesling tops the contents before the rim is fitted with a traditional rope of dough to seal the lid. This step cannot be omitted, otherwise the liquid can bubble out of the pot and into the oven. The cooking environment that this creates is very similar to that created by a pressure cooker. The resulting meal will be luscious, moist, and flavorful. This winter season make hearty Baeckeoffe for your family.

Baeckeoffe

Adapted from The Cuisine of Hubert Keller by Hubert Keller with John Harrison.

Note: For this recipe I use a Dutch oven, but if you can find it, a clay tureen is more traditional and possibly better.

for the marinade:
1 pound beef chuck, cut into 1-1/4-inch chunks
1 pound pork butt, cut into 1-1/4-inch chunks
1 pound lamb shoulder, cut into 1-1/4-inch chunks
2 yellow onions, minced
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 small leeks, white and light-green parts only, julienned
1 large carrot, cut into 1/8-inch slices
2 bay leaves
1 sprig thyme
1 teaspoon juniper berries
3 tablespoons minced parsley
1 750-ml bottle Riesling

for the assembly:
olive oil
3 pounds Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/8-inch slices
fine sea salt
freshly ground black pepper
1 750-ml bottle Riesling
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
5 tablespoons water

For the marinade, combine meat, vegetables, herbs, and wine in a large glass or ceramic bowl or dish. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Rub the inside of a 6-quart Dutch oven with oil.

To assemble the casserole, line bottom of Dutch oven with half the potato slices. Season with salt and pepper. Pack in meat and vegetables in layers. Season with salt and pepper. Pour in marinade. Cover meat and vegetables with the remaining potato slices. Season with salt and pepper. Pour in wine just until potatoes are covered with liquid.

Make a paste by combining flour, water, and 1 tablespoon oil. Knead and roll into a long snake. Place around the rim of the Dutch oven. Slightly loosen the screw of the knob on the lid to create a vent hole. Place the lid on the dough and press tightly to seal.

Place the Dutch oven on a rimmed baking sheet and into the oven. Bake for 3 hours. Remove the lid with the pastry. Serve piping hot. Yield: 6 to 8 servings.

Comments

  1. The photo reminds me almost exactly of Lancashire Hot Pot - one of my favourite winter treats. It's made with lamb shoulder chops and has those lovely layers of potatoes on top.

    I'm intrigued by your Baeckeoffe and look forward to trying it.

    Thanks,

    Foodelf

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  2. Mmmm...I love baeckeoffe! I lived in Strasbourg last year, and an Alsatian friend of mine made the most delicious baeckeoffe--and I'm so glad to see that this version looks almost exactly like hers! I was so enamoured by the meal that I bought the traditional baeckeoffe baking dish to bring back with me. Now that it's starting to get cold, maybe I'll finally get around to using it. Thanks for sharing!

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  3. Huber Keller certainly made this delicious dish a little more popular in the USA. However it is traditionally cooked an a clay tureen from Soufflenheim in Alsace. Hubert did not have it handy at the show of couse but it is much better when slowed cooked in clay. You would then cook it for 3 hours at 315-325 degrees without preheating the oven.

    These tureens are now available in the US at www.claybourg.com, imported directly from Alsace.

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  4. Guillaume,

    Thanks for the source for tureens. I looked as hard as I could but couldn't find one in time, so I adapted the recipe for the Dutch oven. I'd love to see what the differnce is when it's cooked in clay.

    Hubert Keller did popularize it on Top Chef Masters. I first had Baeckeoffe a few years ago at the Bar Room at The Modern, which is MoMA's restaurant in New York. The chef there is Alsatian Gabriel Kreuther. He makes his with lamb, conch, and tripe.

    Joseph

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  5. Interesting with conch and tripes, very unusual. I've seen it with a pork foot in it, the skin and gelatin give a nice texture but I never tried it myself. I actually made one over the weekend with a clay pot but my potatoes fell apart. Not sure what variety I used, I'll try with the Yukon next time as yours look really nice. I like adding 2 or 3 cloves as well.

    You got the story right too with the laundry and the baker, that's good, very little know about the origins of this dish. Anyone reading this , try it! So easy to make, yet so delicious and not that expensive even with the wine. It usually costs me $20 to $25 and I serve 4 to 6 in a medium clay tureen. Instead of the Riesling you can use a Gentile or similar, usually a few dollar cheaper than the Riesling and still very pleasant, just a tiny bit fruitier.

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