Böfflamott

Ingredients for 4 servings:

• 1 ½ kg beef (shoulder)
• ¾ liter red wine, strong
• 4 tbsp cognac
• 2 onions
• 1 carrot(s)
• some celeriac
• 1 tbsp tomato paste
• 1 liter chicken broth or meat broth
• ½ tsp all-spice seeds
• ½ tsp peppercorns, black
• 8 juniper berries
• 4 bay leaves
• 4 tbsp butter, cold
• salt and pepper

Instructions

Working time approx. 25 minutes; Rest period approx. 3 days; Total time approx. 3 days 25 minutes

Bavarian braised beef

Wash the meat and trim any outer tendons and fat. Then, in a sufficiently large container, cover with the red wine and cognac. The meat should be completely covered, so add a little more wine. Add 3 crushed juniper berries and 2 bay leaves and let the whole thing marinate in the refrigerator for 3 days. Remove the meat from the marinade and pat dry. Remove the juniper berries and bay leaves and discard. In a wide saucepan, reduce the marinade by about a third, removing any foam that forms. Preheat the oven to 160°C (top/bottom heat). Peel the onions, carrot, and celery, and cut into approximately 2 cm pieces. Sear the meat in a roasting pan on all sides and remove. Then sear the braised vegetables in the same roasting pan. Before the onions begin to brown, add the tomato paste and fry briefly. Deglaze with about a third of the reduced marinade and reduce again a little. Add the rest of the marinade and the stock, and add the meat. Close the lid of the roasting pan so that a small gap remains. Then braise for about three to four hours (depending on the thickness of the meat). Add 5 crushed juniper berries, peppercorns, allspice, and 2 bay leaves halfway through the cooking time. Turn the meat occasionally. Remove the meat from the braising sauce and keep warm. Strain the sauce through a sieve, reduce slightly, and season with salt and pepper. Discard the braised vegetables. Stir the butter in small pieces into the sauce to thicken it. (Although I must admit, I have also resorted to using a cheap sauce thickener.) Slice the Böfflamott and serve it in the sauce. Boiled potatoes or bread dumplings go perfectly with it. I recommend Burgundy as a table wine. Note: Böfflamott is actually called that and is spelled that way. It is, of course, a Bavarian Boeuf à la mode. And there are probably as many different recipes as there are families in Upper Bavaria. I’ve also seasoned it with a vinegar reduction, which is more like a Sauerbraten (caramelize powdered sugar, deglaze with wine vinegar, and reduce to a syrupy consistency). There are also recipes without red wine at all, just with vinegar, but those aren’t my thing.