Carbonnade À La Flamande Flemish Beef Stew Food

BEEF AND BEER STEW - CARBONNADE A LA FLAMANDE

Steps:

• Heat a large dutch oven over medium low to medium heat (you will need to find the browning sweet spot).
• Add 2-3 Tbsp of oil to the dutch oven.
• Working in batches brown the beef well. Be careful not to overcrowd the pan. If you get a big puddle of liquid in your pan, it's overcrowded. You are boiling your beef. That's bad. It took 5 batches in a 6 quart dutch oven for 4 lbs of beef.
• Dice the bacon into 1/4 inch pieces and add to the dutch oven along with the leftover oil and goodness. Cook to render the fat and add the thinly sliced onions. Add a bit of salt and cook, covered, for 20 minutes. Stir occasionally. Uncover and cook another 10 minutes. You are going for meltingly tender onions. Think French onion soup. It may take a little longer but it's worth it.
• Add the crushed garlic and flour and cook another 2 minutes, stirring well.
• Mix the mustard with a little beer to dissolve.
• Add about 1/2 cup of the beer and scrape up any browned goodness on the bottom of the dutch oven.
• Pour in the rest of the beer, along with the mustard, cider vinegar, brown sugar, bay and fresh thyme. Add a bit of fresh ground black pepper as well.
• Return the beef to the pot along with any accumulated juices.
• Add just enough chicken stock to cover the beef. You may not need any at all.
• Add a good tsp of salt at this point, cover and place in a 325F oven for about 2 to 2 1/2 hours.
• Start checking at about 90 minutes. You are done when the beef is tender.
• At this point adjust the salt to taste.
• This is traditionally served with boiled new potatoes and carrots. I like it with a green salad to start and crusty bread.

CARBONNADE FLAMANDE (FLEMISH STEW)

Steps:

• Place the beef into a large bowl and cover with the flour, salt, and pepper. Toss/combine until the beef is well-covered on all sides.
• Place a large cast iron frying pan or Dutch oven on the stove top over medium-high heat and add 1 tablespoon of butter. Brown the beef in the pan, taking care not to crowd the pieces together (you'll most likely want to work in batches). Once the beef has been well-browned (~3-4 minutes per batch), remove it from the pan and set it aside.
• Add the bacon to the now-empty pan and cook until the fat is fully rendered and the bacon is a little bit crisp.
• Reduce the heat to low and add the onions, garlic, and remaining butter to the pan. Cook slowly, until the onions are well-caramelized - on average 35-45 minutes. Ensure that your heat is truly low enough; a large coil on a gas stove may still be too hot when set on low, especially as the caramelization stage nears.
• Add the beer to the pan and scrape it gently to deglaze any stuck-on bits. Bring the heat back up to medium-high and simmer until the liquid is reduced by about ¼.
• Transfer the contents of the frying pan and the beef to an electric pressure cooker, slow cooker, or large Dutch Oven (see next step for cooking variations). Add the beef stock, sugar, vinegar, thyme, parsley, and bay leaf. You may wish to lightly salt the dish at this point, but adjust the final taste closer to the completion point.
• Pressure Cooker: Seal and cook at high pressure (manual) for 45 minutes. Allow the pressure to reduce naturally for at least 15 minutes before venting.Slow Cooker: Cover and slow cook on low for 6-7 hours, or until the beef is very tender.Stovetop: Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and cover. Simmer for 2-3 hours, or until the meat is very tender.
• Remove finished stew from heat and adjust the final taste with salt and, if necessary, a little brown sugar and/or vinegar. Garnish with fresh parsley and serve with bread, potatoes, or (my favourite) fries.

CARBONNADE FLAMANDE

Steps:

• Marinate the beef overnight in the ale with the garlic and bay leaves. The next day, drain the beef from the marinade, reserving the marinade. Pat the meat dry with kitchen paper and toss it in the seasoned flour until evenly coated. Shake off any excess flour.
• Heat 2 tbsp of the olive oil in a large flameproof casserole until hot. Fry the beef in 3-4 batches for about 5 minutes per batch, stirring occasionally, until it is a rich golden brown all over. You may need to add a little more oil between batches but make sure it is hot again before adding the next batch. Remove the meat with a slotted spoon to a plate and set aside. Don't worry if the bottom of the casserole is starting to brown, this all adds to the flavour of the finished dish.
• Lower the heat to medium and fry the pancetta in the casserole for 6-8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until crisp and golden. Scoop the pancetta out with a slotted spoon and set aside with the beef.
• Preheat the oven to fan 140C/conventional 160C/gas 3. Tip the carrots, onions and leek into the casserole and fry, stirring occasionally, until they start to brown - this takes about 12 minutes. Spoon in the tomato purée and continue to cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly.
• Add the beef and pour in the reserved marinade. Bring to a simmer, scraping any sticky bits off the bottom of the pan, then add all the beef stock and bouquet garni to the casserole. Season with salt and pepper and bring everything to the boil. Remove from the heat. Cover with a lid and cook in the oven for 2 hours, stirring once halfway through. (The carbonnade may now be left to cool and frozen for up to 1 month. Add 100ml/31⁄2 fl oz more stock to the sauce when reheating.) When the beef is ready, taste for seasoning and add more salt and pepper if you think it needs it. Scatter the chopped parsley over the top and serve straight from the casserole, with creamy mash or jacket potatoes and buttered greens or cabbage.

CARBONNADE FLAMANDE

Steps:

• Marinade the beef in the beer and garlic for at least two hours, the longer the better.
• Preheat your oven to 160 degrees Celsius.
• Heat the butter in a large, oven proof dish and fry the bacon, onions and carrots for around 5 minutes or until cooked.
• Add the beef and the liquid from the marinade along with all of the other ingredients.
• Mix through, cover and place into the oven for around 3 hours.

CARBONNADE A LA FLAMANDE - BEEF STEW WITH BELGIAN DUBBEL ALE

Steps:

• Turn oven on to 300° F.
• Heat a large heavy pot (with a lid) over medium-high heat and melt the butter.
• Add the lardons and cook them until crisp.
• Turn the heat down to medium-low and add the onions. Stir well and cook until translucent.
• Add the dried thyme and ground allspice and mix them with the onions and lardons.
• Add the beef cubes, dust them with flour and turn them around a few times.
• Add the mustard and brown sugar and stir.
• Add the beef stock and beer and stir again.
• Turn up the heat and bring to a boil.
• Add the bay leaves, salt and pepper, give a final stir and cover with the lid.
• Put the covered pot in the oven and cook for 3 hours. Check to see if the meat is fork tender (it should be) and if needed cook for another 30 mins.

CARBONNADE à LA FLAMANDE

Steps:

• Place a rack in the lower third of the oven. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Dry the beef and heat the fat in a 9- to 10-inch ovenproof casserole or pot until almost smoking. Brown the beef quickly on all sides, a few pieces at a time, removing them as they brown. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, toss to coat and set aside.
• Reduce heat. Stir in onions, adding more fat if necessary. Brown lightly about 10 minutes, stirring frequently. Season with salt and pepper. Stir in garlic. Set aside. Add stock to the pan and scrape up the brown bits and coagulated juices.
• Arrange half the beef in the pan and spread with half the onions. Repeat with the remaining beef and onions. Add enough beer to cover the meat. Stir in the brown sugar and bury the herb bouquet in the meat. Bring to a simmer, cover and place in the oven. Cook at a slow simmer (check occasionally) for 2 1/2 hours, until meat is tender.
• Remove from the oven and discard the herb bouquet. Remove beef and skim off the fat. Blend the arrowroot with 2 tablespoons vinegar and stir into the liquid. Simmer for 3 to 4 minutes, until thickened. Adjust seasonings. Return meat to the pan, stir and heat through. Serve with noodles.

INSTANT POT BEEF & BEER BELGIAN STEW (CARBONNADE A LA FLAMANDE)

Steps:

• Liberally season the beef cubes with salt and pepper. You can also roll it in flour if you wish. I wanted a thinner stew with lots of sauce and also a gluten-free version so I didn't bother with adding the flour.
• Choose the saute setting in your instant pot. Melt the butter with the oil. Brown the cubed beef in batches to sear. Place the beef cubes in a large platter as you cook.
• Saute the onions in the remaining fat in the pot until translucent. Add the garlic and cook for another minute or 2. Pour a little of the ale to deglaze the pot.
• Return the meat to the instant pot and mix well with the onions and garlic. Pour in the entire content of the beer bottle. Add the bouquet garni, vinegar and brown sugar. Stir everything.
• Cook on high pressure for 35 minutes or until the beef is fork-tender. Allow a natural release.
• Taste and adjust the seasoning with a little salt and pepper, if desired. Remove the bouquet garni. Add a little flour or cornstarch diluted with a little water to thicken the sauce. Alternatively, simply continue cooking the stew on saute setting until it thickens to your liking. Garnish with some fresh chopped parsley before serving, if desired.
• Serve with fries, bread or rice! Pour all that yummy sauce on top!

CARBONNADE À LA FLAMANDE (FLEMISH BEEF STEW)

Steps:

• In an enameled cast-iron casserole, melt 2 tablespoons of the butter. Season the beef with salt and pepper and add one-third of it to the casserole. Cook over moderate heat until lightly browned, 3 minutes per side. Transfer to a bowl. Repeat with 2 more batches of meat, using the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter.
• Add the onions to the casserole, cover and cook over low heat, stirring, until browned, 8 minutes. Stir in the flour until the onions are well-coated, then slowly add the beer. Return the meat to the casserole along with any accumulated juices. Add the thyme and bay leaves, cover and simmer over low heat, stirring, until the beef is tender, 2 hours.
• Uncover and transfer the meat to a bowl. Simmer the sauce over moderate heat until thickened slightly. Discard the bay leaves. Return the meat to the casserole and season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle with parsley and serve with boiled carrots and potatoes.

CARBONNADE FLAMANDE (BEEF AND BEER STEW)

Steps:

• Marinate the beef with the beer, the garlic, the bay leaves and a pinch of salt for at least two hours, or overnight.
• Drain the beef and reserve the marinade. Pat dry the beef with paper towels.
• In a dutch oven, heat the olive oil until pipping hot. Fry the beef in batches, until golden brown on all sides, about 10 minutes. Remove the beef cubes and reserve.
• In the same dutch oven, fry the bacon until golden and crisp. Reserve with the beef.
• Add the onions, a pinch of salt and fry in the bacon grease, until caramelized (around 10 minutes).
• Add the flour and cook for about 2 minutes until the flour is cooked and the onions are coated.
• Add the beef broth and scrape the bits stuck in the bottom. Add the reserved marinade, the beef, the bacon and the thyme.
• Cook for 1.5 hours.
• Add the brown sugar, the parsley, some fresh pepper and the mustard. Cook for 30 minutes.
• Sprinkle some fresh parsley on top and serve with fries.

CARBONNADE A' LA FLAMANDE

Steps:

• Combine first 5 ingredients in a large zip-top plastic bag. Seal; shake to coat.
• Heat a large dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add bacon to pan; cook one minute. Add beef mixture; cook 3 minutes or until browned. Remove beef from pan.
• Add onion and garlic to pan; saute 5 minutes or until tender.
• Return beef to pan. Stir in broth, scraping pan to loosen browned bits. Add water and the next 7 ingredients; bring to a boil.
• Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 30 minutes. Uncover and cook 30 minutes or until beef is tender. Discard bay leaves. Garnish with parsley.

FLEMISH BEEF AND BEER STEW (CARBONNADE FLAMANDE)

Steps:

• Step 1 - Pat the beef cubes dry with paper towel and season them well with salt and black pepper. Let rest to near room temperature for about 30-45 minutes prior to starting cooking.
• Step 2 - On the stove top over medium-high heat, melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a Dutch-oven. Working in batches, add the beef cubes and brown them, about 3 minutes on each side. Be careful not to overcrowd or overlap any meat cubes or they won't brown properly. It should take about 3 to 4 batches to brown 2 ½ lbs of beef. Transfer the browned beef to a separate bowl.
• Pre-heat your oven to 325F (163C) with a rack in the middle.
• Step 3 - Lower the heat to medium, add 2 more tablespoons of butter to the Dutch-oven to melt, and add the sliced onions and garlic. Cook for about 10-15 minutes until the onions are browned and caramelized.
• Step 4 - Add the flour and stir for 2 minutes until the onions are evenly coated and the flour starts to brown. This cooks the "rawness" out of the flour.
• Step 5 - Pour in the brown ale and scrape any browned bits from the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon. Add the beef stock, thyme, bay leaves, brown sugar, browned beef cubes and stir to combine. The liquid should almost cover all the beef cubes.
• Cover with the lid and place in the oven. Let cook for 2 hours, until the beef is fork tender.
• Before serving, adjust seasoning if needed and discard of the thyme and bay leaves.