Slow Sunday · Inspired by Fellow Cooks
Adapted from PublicDomainRecipes.com.
Carbonade Flamande (Flemish Beef and Beer Stew)
Belgium's answer to beef stew: dry-aged chuck braised low and slow in dark ale with sweet onions, a hint of spice and mustard-spread gingerbread that melts into a glossy, deeply savory sauce.
TimeAbout 4½ hours (mostly hands-off)
Serves6–8
EaseMedium
CutChuck Roast Prime Dry Aged Angus
TargetFork-tender
Ingredients
- Legacy Maker Farms 1876 Single-Source3 lb chuck roast, cut into 2-inch chunks
- Kosher salt and black pepper
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tbsp butter
- 3 large onions (about 1¼ lb), diced
- ⅔ lb diced smoked bacon (optional)
- 1½ tbsp brown sugar
- 4 bottles (12 oz each) strong Belgian-style brown ale
- 6 slices gingerbread or spice cake (or dark rye bread)
- 2 tbsp Dijon mustard
- 4 sprigs thyme and 2 bay leaves
- 6 whole cloves and 6 juniper berries
Method
- 1Pat the beef dry and season it well with salt and pepper.
- 2Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Brown the beef in batches without crowding the pot, 4–5 minutes per batch, and set it aside.
- 3Meanwhile, melt the butter in a skillet over medium heat and cook the onions (and bacon, if using) for about 15 minutes, until soft and golden.
- 4Pour a splash of ale into the Dutch oven and scrape up the browned bits. Add the onions, bacon and brown sugar and stir until the sugar melts.
- 5Return the beef and pour in the rest of the ale. Spread the mustard on the gingerbread slices, toast them lightly and lay them on top of the stew; they will melt in and thicken the sauce.
- 6Tie the thyme and bay together and add them with the cloves and juniper (in a spice bag, if you have one). Bring to a gentle simmer.
- 7Cover partly and cook over low heat for 3–4 hours, stirring now and then and adding a little water if the sauce gets too thick, until the beef is spoon-tender.
- 8Remove the herbs and whole spices, season to taste, and serve with mashed potatoes or fries.
Fork
Cook to temperature, not timeBraise until fork-tender. For whole cuts the USDA minimum is 145°F with a 3-minute rest.
Slow Sunday · Inspired by Fellow Cooks
Adapted from PublicDomainRecipes.com.
Carbonade Flamande (Flemish Beef and Beer Stew)
Belgium's answer to beef stew: dry-aged chuck braised low and slow in dark ale with sweet onions, a hint of spice and mustard-spread gingerbread that melts into a glossy, deeply savory sauce.
TimeAbout 4½ hours (mostly hands-off)
Serves6–8
EaseMedium
CutChuck Roast Prime Dry Aged Angus
TargetFork-tender
Ingredients
- Legacy Maker Farms 1876 Single-Source3 lb chuck roast, cut into 2-inch chunks
- Kosher salt and black pepper
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tbsp butter
- 3 large onions (about 1¼ lb), diced
- ⅔ lb diced smoked bacon (optional)
- 1½ tbsp brown sugar
- 4 bottles (12 oz each) strong Belgian-style brown ale
- 6 slices gingerbread or spice cake (or dark rye bread)
- 2 tbsp Dijon mustard
- 4 sprigs thyme and 2 bay leaves
- 6 whole cloves and 6 juniper berries
Method
- 1Pat the beef dry and season it well with salt and pepper.
- 2Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Brown the beef in batches without crowding the pot, 4–5 minutes per batch, and set it aside.
- 3Meanwhile, melt the butter in a skillet over medium heat and cook the onions (and bacon, if using) for about 15 minutes, until soft and golden.
- 4Pour a splash of ale into the Dutch oven and scrape up the browned bits. Add the onions, bacon and brown sugar and stir until the sugar melts.
- 5Return the beef and pour in the rest of the ale. Spread the mustard on the gingerbread slices, toast them lightly and lay them on top of the stew; they will melt in and thicken the sauce.
- 6Tie the thyme and bay together and add them with the cloves and juniper (in a spice bag, if you have one). Bring to a gentle simmer.
- 7Cover partly and cook over low heat for 3–4 hours, stirring now and then and adding a little water if the sauce gets too thick, until the beef is spoon-tender.
- 8Remove the herbs and whole spices, season to taste, and serve with mashed potatoes or fries.
Fork
Cook to temperature, not timeBraise until fork-tender. For whole cuts the USDA minimum is 145°F with a 3-minute rest.