Veal Tendrons in Pacherenc Wine rich and flavorful

Name: Veal Tendrons in Pacherenc Wine
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 90 min
Total time: 120 min
Yield: 6 servings
Cuisine: French
Ingredients: 6 veal tendrons (about 8.75 oz (250 g) each); 1.1 oz (30 g) flour; 3.5 oz (100 g) butter; 1/2.1 qt (2 liter) Pacherenc (or substitute with sweet Bordeaux Cadillac, Sauternes, or Loupiac); 3/4.25 qt (4 liter) beef stock (prepared ahead); 1.75 oz (50 g) tomato paste; 1 bay leaf and a pinch of thyme; 2 tomatoes cut into large dice; 1.7 fl oz (5 cl) fresh orange juice; Salt and freshly ground pepper; To add halfway through cooking:28 oz (800 g) carrots, peeled and cut into 5 cm sticks; 18 small pearl onions, peeled; 7 oz (200 g) white mushrooms, cleaned, sliced, and sautéed in butter; 2.8 oz (80 g) smoked lardons, sautéed in a pan and drained

A recipe by Michelin-starred Chef Patrick Asfaux 5/5 (19 reviews) · 🍳 9 made it

Prep 30 min

Cook 90 min

Total 2h

Servings 6 serv.

Veal tendrons in Pacherenc wine with melt-in-your-mouth carrots, just as Auntie Gaëlle used to make them. Flour, butter, 45 minutes in the oven, then another 45 minutes with carrots, pearl onions, smoked lardons, and sautéed mushrooms.

Ingredients for 6 servings

Adjust for

servings

6 veal tendrons (about 8.75 oz (250 g) each)
1.1 oz (30 g) flour
3.5 oz (100 g) butter
1/2.1 qt (2 liter) Pacherenc (or substitute with sweet Bordeaux Cadillac, Sauternes, or Loupiac)
3/4.25 qt (4 liter) beef stock (prepared ahead)
1.75 oz (50 g) tomato paste
1 bay leaf and a pinch of thyme
2 tomatoes cut into large dice
1.7 fl oz (5 cl) fresh orange juice
Salt and freshly ground pepper

To add halfway through cooking:

28 oz (800 g) carrots, peeled and cut into 5 cm sticks
18 small pearl onions, peeled
7 oz (200 g) white mushrooms, cleaned, sliced, and sautéed in butter
2.8 oz (80 g) smoked lardons, sautéed in a pan and drained

Step-by-step recipe

1 Salt and pepper your tendrons, then coat them lightly in flour, shaking off the excess.

2 Place a wide oven-safe casserole on your stove. Add butter and a splash of oil. Once golden, lay in your tendrons and brown them for 5 minutes on each side.

3 Preheat your oven to 375°F (190 °C) (375 °F).

4 Transfer your tendrons to a serving platter and return the casserole to the heat without letting it burn. Add the tomatoes and tomato paste, season with salt and pepper, cook for 5 minutes, then add the thyme and bay leaf, orange juice, and Pacherenc. Reduce slightly, then pour in the beef stock. Taste at a boil, then return the tendrons and their juices to the pot, cover, and place in the oven.

5 In a separate pot, combine the carrots and onions with cold salted water and a knob of butter. Bring to a boil and blanch for 3 minutes, then drain.

6 Prepare your mushrooms and lardons.

7 After 45 minutes of cooking, add all the garnishes: carrots, onions, mushrooms, and lardons. Continue cooking in the oven for another 45 minutes.

To serve: On a large shallow platter, carefully remove the tendrons with a wide spatula and arrange them in a line, side by side. Remove the thyme and bay leaf, then carefully arrange the vegetables around them. Drizzle the tendrons lightly with sauce and bring this beautiful, inviting dish to the table.

Prepared this way, Auntie Gaëlle's way, the tendrons will be wonderfully tender. You can also make this dish with slices of veal shoulder. I hardly dare describe the flavors of the carrots mingling with the honeyed notes of the Pacherenc, combined with the smoky richness of the lardons.

You can also prepare them the same way by replacing the carrots with spinach, creamed sorrel, good risotto or fresh tagliatelle, and even just-ripe apricots, seasoned with salt and pepper, and sautéed in butter.

A chef's advice

January-February, when the butchers still have beautiful plump tendrons in their window. This is a two-stage cooking: 45 minutes alone in the oven at 190 °C, then another 45 minutes with all the garnish. The carrots, blanched for just 3 minutes before going into the pot, stay firm. Pacherenc du Vic-Bilh brings a honeyed depth that neither a red wine nor a dry white can give you.