Carbonnade à la Flamande (Flemish Beef Stew)

4.0

(1,805)

3 Reviews

This classic Belgian beef stew is known for its sweet-sour combination of caramelized onions and beer. Any dark Belgian-style ale would be a good choice here. As with most stews, the dish will taste even better a day or two after it's made.Recipes from Essential Pépin by Jacques Pépin. Copyright © 2011 by Jacques Pépin. Reproduced by permission of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. All rights reserved. More Hearty Stews

By

Jacques Pépin

Updated on November 20, 2019

Carbonnade à la Flamande (Flemish Beef Stew) — Photo: © Con Poulos

Active Time:

45 mins

Total Time:

3 hrs

Yield:

8

Cook Mode (Keep screen awake)

Ingredients

4 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 pounds beef flatiron or blade steaks, cut into 1/3-inch-thick slices, about 3 inches wide
Salt and freshly ground pepper
3 cups thickly sliced onions
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
Three 12-ounce cans beer
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
2 bay leaves
Chopped parsley, for garnish
Boiled carrots and potatoes, for serving

Directions

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.