Belgian Beef and Beer Stew (Carbonnade Flamande)

 

Ingredients

• 2 ½ lb beef chuck or beef cheeks, cut into 2-inch cubes
• 4 yellow onions, thinly sliced
• 4 carrots, peeled and cut into large chunks
• 1 tbsp dark brown sugar or vergeoise if you can find it
• 3 tbsp all-purpose flour
• 4 cups dark beer, Leffe Brune, a Belgian dubbel, or a brown ale (about three 12-oz bottles)
• 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar, optional (if the sauce is too sweet)
• 1 bouquet garni, 4 sprigs of thyme and 2 bay leaves
• 5 whole cloves, optional
• 5 slices French spice bread (pain d'épices)
• 3 tbsp Dijon mustard or whole-grain Dijon
• 2 tbsp neutral oil such as canola
• Salt and pepper

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 300°F (150°C), or 265°F (130°C) with convection.
• Pat the meat dry with paper towels and season with salt. In a Dutch oven, heat the oil over high heat and brown the meat in 3 batches, 4 to 5 minutes per batch. Set aside.
• Reduce the heat to medium, and add the onions and carrots. Sauté for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onions are golden brown. Add the brown sugar and let it caramelise for 2 minutes.
• Return the meat and its juices to the pan, sprinkle with flour, and stir for 1 minute.
• Pour in the beer and vinegar, scraping up the browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Add the thyme, bay leaves, and cloves, season with pepper, and bring to a simmer.
• Generously spread the spice bread with mustard and place the slices on top, mustard side up, without pressing them down. Cover and bake for 4 to 5 hours. If the sauce bubbles too hard, lower the oven to 265°F (130°C) or 230°F (110°C) with convection. It should just barely simmer.
• Check that the beef pulls apart easily with a fork. Taste and adjust the seasoning.

Notes

For the sauce: If the sauce is too runny, remove the meat from the pot, mix one tablespoon of cornflour with a little cold water, pour it into the sauce, and bring the sauce to a boil while stirring—this will thicken it.

Cooking on the Stove: You can also cook the carbonnade on the stove, covered and over very low heat; the sauce should just simmer. In this case, allow about 3 hours.

Storing, Reheating, and Freezing: Carbonnade keeps for 2 to 3 days in the refrigerator in a sealed container, and it tastes even better the next day. Reheat it gently over low heat, covered, with a little water or beer, without letting it boil so the meat stays tender. It freezes very well for up to 3 months, but without the fries or potatoes, which you should prepare just before serving