Bœuf Mode aux Légumes

Tie the beef tightly at 3 cm intervals with kitchen twine. Season all over with 1 tsp fine sea salt and black pepper. Peel and prepare all vegetables. Cube the lardons. Smash the garlic. Bundle the thyme, bay leaves, parsley stems and peppercorns in a square of muslin and tie into a bouquet garni.

Combine the beef, calf's foot, red wine, white wine and cognac in a large non-reactive bowl. Add the bouquet garni, half the carrots and 2 smashed garlic cloves. Cover and refrigerate for 12–24 hours, turning the beef once halfway through.

Lift the beef and calf's foot from the marinade and pat completely dry with paper towels. Strain the marinade through a fine sieve, reserving both the liquid and the solids separately; discard the marinade vegetables and bouquet garni. Make a fresh bouquet garni with the remaining thyme, bay, parsley stems and peppercorns.

Heat the neutral oil in a large heavy Dutch oven over high heat until shimmering. Sear the beef, turning every 2–3 minutes, until deeply mahogany brown on all sides, about 12–15 minutes total. Transfer to a plate.

Reduce the heat to medium. Add the lardons and cook, stirring occasionally, until the fat has rendered and the lardons are lightly golden, about 5 minutes.

Add the pearl onions and remaining garlic cloves and cook, stirring, until the onions take on a little colour, about 4 minutes.

Add the tomato paste and cook, stirring constantly, until it darkens to a brick-red and begins to catch on the bottom, about 2 minutes.

Pour in the reserved marinade liquid, scraping up all the browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Bring to a vigorous boil and cook until the wine loses its raw smell and reduces by one-quarter, about 10 minutes.

Add the beef stock, fresh bouquet garni and calf's foot. Nestle the seared beef in the pot — the liquid should come two-thirds of the way up the meat. Bring to the barest simmer over medium heat.

Cover the pot with a tight-fitting lid and transfer to an oven preheated to 150°C (300°F). Braise for 1 hour 30 minutes.

Add the remaining carrots, the turnips, celery and whole potatoes to the pot, submerging them in the braising liquid. Cover and return to the oven.

Continue braising until the beef reads 90–95°C on a meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part and yields completely when pressed with a finger — the collagen should be fully dissolved — about 1 hour further.

Transfer the beef and vegetables to a warmed serving platter and tent loosely with foil. Remove and discard the calf's foot and bouquet garni. Skim all surface fat from the braising liquid.

Bring the braising liquid to a rolling boil over high heat and reduce until it coats the back of a spoon and tastes intensely savoury, about 15–20 minutes.

Remove from the heat, swirl in the butter until glossy, and season with salt and black pepper. Snip the twine from the beef, slice thickly, and arrange with the vegetables. Pour the sauce over the top and scatter with chopped parsley leaves.