Pot-Au-Feu

Ingredients

• The Recipe (Serves 16)
• Meat:
• 4 pounds boned beef-a combination of two or more of the following: brisket, shoulder, chuck and top rib.
• 2 pounds shin of beef, with bone (All of the meats above should have excess fat removed and be tied up in string by the butcher to prevent their falling apart during cooking.)
• 8 chicken livers plus 2 pounds optional necks, gizzards, poultry scraps and/or carcasses
• 1 4-pound piece of pork from the butt, picnic, rolled shoulder
• 1 4-pound stewing hen (if unavailable use a roasting chicken but only cook for 1 hour.)
• Optional: 1 veal knuckle bone, 2 pounds beef or veal bones and/or 1 large marrow bone
• Soup Vegetables:
• 3 medium yellow onions, peeled and each one stuck with 1 whole clove
• 3 carrots, peeled
• 3 ribs celery
• 2 parsnips, peeled
• 2 whole leeks, washed
• 1 head garlic, unpeeled and cut in half
• 1 bouquet garni
• 1 2-pound piece of mild, lightly smoked country or Polish sausage
• Approximately 12 cups of room temperature beef or chicken stock, or a mixture (enough to cover the meat by six inches)
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt or sea salt
• Garnish Vegetables:
• 5 very large carrots, 5 large leeks, 3 large parsnips, 3 medium turnips, all washed, chopped and trimmed.
• 1 large yellow onion, chopped and sauteed in butter or olive oil until brown
• 1 small white cabbage, trimmed, cut into wedges and boiled until tender
• 10 medium boiled peeled potatoes, halved after cooking
• 1 small bunch fresh chervil tied up in cheesecloth (optional)