Carbonnade à la Flamande is a traditional Flemish stew, and an easy, great meal for winter. If you don't have access to Belgian ale, use any amber colored ale but stay away from stout, as it overpowers everything. ( I also threw in a glass of red wine I just happened to have handy.) —Tom Landshof

Carbonnade à la Flamande
Belgian Beef, Beer, and Onion Stew
(Modified from Cook’s Illustrated)
Serves 6 easily

Ingredients
3½ lbs. blade steaks, 1 inch thick, trimmed of gristle and fat and cut into 1-inch pieces
salt and ground black pepper
4 Tbs. vegetable oil
2 lbs. yellow onions (about 3 medium), halved and sliced about ¼ inch thick
1 Tbs. tomato paste
2 cloves garlic, minced (about 2 tsp.)
3 Tbs. flour
¾ cup chicken broth
¾ cup beef broth
1½ cups beer (Belgian Ale)
4 sprigs fresh thyme, tied with kitchen twine
2 bay leaves
1 Tbs. cider vinegar

Preparation
Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position; heat oven to 300°F. Dry beef thoroughly with paper towels, then season generously with salt and pepper. Heat 1 Tbs. oil in large heavy-bottomed Dutch oven over medium-high heat until beginning to smoke; add about one-third of beef to pot. Cook without moving pieces until well browned, 2 to 3 minutes; using tongs turn each piece and continue cooking until second side is well browned, about 5 minutes longer. Transfer browned beef to bowl. Repeat with additional Tbs. oil and half of remaining beef. (If drippings in bottom of pot are very dark, add about 1/2 cup of chicken or beef broth and scrape pan bottom with wooden spoon to loosen browned bits; pour liquid into bowl with browned beef, then proceed.) Repeat once more with 1 Tbs. oil and remaining beef.

Add remaining 1 Tbs. oil to now-empty pot; reduce heat to medium-low. Add onions, ½ tsp. salt; cook, scraping bottom of pot with wooden spoon to loosen browned bits, until onions have released some moisture, about 5 minutes. Increase heat to medium and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until onions are lightly browned, 12 to 14 minutes. Add tomato paste and stir in. Stir in garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add flour and stir until onions are evenly coated and flour is lightly browned, about 2 minutes. Stir in broths, scraping pan bottom to loosen browned bits; stir in beer, thyme, bay, vinegar, browned beef with any accumulated juices, and salt and pepper to taste. Increase heat to medium-high and bring to full simmer, stirring occasionally; cover partially, then place pot in oven. Cook until fork inserted into beef meets little resistance, about 2 to 2½ hours.

Discard thyme and bay. Adjust seasonings with salt and pepper to taste and serve. (Freezes well. Can be made ahead and reheated.)

 

January 6, 2008