Le Comptoir - really specific question about a menu item!

[shopwinedinefine]

Hello Chowhounders - We were in Paris last month and had two fabulous lunches at Le Comptoir. Twice, my husband ordered what is closest compared to beef stew or beef bourguignon. It had little macaroni pasta in it, along with the beef, and I think it was about 15 euros. My husband LOVED that stew and is begging me to re-create it (to the extent possible....) Anyway, is there a name for this item so I might try to find a recipe? Thanks!

[zuriga1]

Could perhaps the little pastas been orzo? I love that shape and size for lots of dishes.

[shopwinedinefine]

Hello - Thanks for the name of the dish! I did attempt a recreation at home and my husband was pleased, although I am my own worst critic I thought the beef was too tough (I used stewing beef). I wonder if there is another type of beef that might work better...or maybe I just overcooked it.

Thanks!

[Theobroma]

It works the other way round: The longer you cook it the more tender it gets.
For beef stews with parts like tail or cheek, you need to cook it very slowly for at least 3h (or more!).

[PhilD]

Definitely cook long and slow, the longer the better at quite a low heat, and use some red wine to help with the process (and not just to drink whilst you wait).
I read a recipe for Joue de Boeuf last week and it recommended braising the cheeks for 7 hours. If you have a good butcher near you try and order some beef cheeks, the nature of the meat makes for an unctuous stew (I tried to find it again and I am afraid I couldn't).

[legume]

A French chef friend of mine does wonderful beef cheeks and marinates them in red wine and chopped up carrots/celery/onion overnight before the very slow cooking process. I believe the cut of meat ie cheek is very important. It's probably the part of the beef that gets the most exercise. The shape makes for a neat presentation. I've tried reproducing his results with other cuts of beef (shin for example) but can never do it as well. I now cheat by getting him to supply the finished product in cryovac bag.

[brendastarlet]

You can make this with gnocchi, also, instead of pasta. The gnocchi will soak up the sauce. Mmmmmm.

[souphie]

I second low heat in particular. Hard boiling beef will never be nearly tender enough. One easy way to obtain that result is to start on the stove and end in the oven (with a castiron pot and its cover for example -- say Staub or le Creuset cocottes). It is also important that you only have one layer of beef in your pot.

[Theobroma]

That's an interesting issue.
Actually technically hard boiling is *not too bad* because as long the meat is cooked in the liquid, you can have the guanrantee that it will stay around 100°C which a low enough temperature.
Now, why is a lower temperature so interesting? Because the fat melts at higher temperature, and fat holds much of the flavour and the tenderness of the meat.
That is why the fois gras must be cooking at a very low temperature (Hervé This the chemist-chef suggests 60°C). This is why also Alain Passard cooks chickens at a lower temperature.
It is interesting to experiment this with a piece of foie gras or marrow bone.

[Delucacheesemonger]

Sorry, tiny elbows not orzo. If you like orzo try the grains farro and/or ble. Ble sold in France by Ebly, like a large pastalike rice but rounder and farro or spelt in America, farro in Italy is another large grain that works wonderfully in risotto type things where you do not want rice

[Delucacheesemonger]

Was there a week ago and the dish you are speaking of was joue de boeuf au semolain,
Beef cheeks with pasta. A special of the day was a hachis parmentier of boeuf queue, oxtail
Shephard's pie. To recreate, simply cook any stew type of meat till butter tender, works great for either recipe and frankly the mashed pôtatoes gratineed on top of hachis were wonderful.

[orangewasabi]

If you don't get an answer here, ask on eGullet. I had a similiar type question after my trip and some nice fella walked by the restaurant in my question and found out for me.