Carbonnades a la Flamande
Serves 6
This rich braised beef gains dimension and complexity from being cooked in Belgian ale.
For a real, traditional “carbonnades”, use chuck or rump cut into slices roughly 2” by 4” by 1/2” thick. However, short ribs are delicious cooked this way.
Ingredients #
3 lbs lean chuck or rump roast, cut into 1” chunks, or 4 lbs. bone-in short ribs
Flour, salt and pepper
Olive oil, or the grease from cooking 2 slices of bacon
6-8 cups sliced onions
4-6 cloves garlic, mashed
1 cups beef broth
3 cups Belgian ale
3-4 sprigs fresh thyme, leaves stripped off the (or ½ tsp. dried thyme)
2 bay leaves
2 tbsp. brown sugar
2 tbsp. corn starch
2 tbsp. red wine vinegar
Instructions #
Season the meat generously with salt and black pepper on all sides. Sprinkle them lightly with flour on all sides (this will aid in browning).
Put a couple of tablespoons of olive oil or bacon grease in the bottom of a large dutch oven and heat it over medium heat until smoking hot. A sturdy, heavy-bottomed pot such a cast iron Dutch oven or an enameled iron pot will make a real difference here.
When the oil is shimmering and about to smoke, start browning the chunks or ribs. Note that the pieces of meat should not touch each other while browning, so you’ll need to do this in batches. Brown them well on all sides and set them aside on a plate or bowl.
Add the onions to the pot with a pinch of salt and cook, stirring frequently, until lightly browned, about 10 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for five more minutes.
Remove the onions and garlic to a bowl and set aside. Return the pot to the heat and add the beef broth, beer, thyme, bay leaves and brown sugar. When this mixture barely comes to a simmer, arrange half of the beef in the bottom of the pot, distribute half of the onion mixture over it, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and then repeat with the remaining beef and onions. Nestle the herbs in among the meat. Return to the simmer, and cook, keeping at a slow simmer, until the beef is fork-tender. This will take about 2 1/2 hours. Alternately, you can put the dutch oven into the lower third of an oven preheated to 325 F.
In a small bowl, combine the corn starch and vinegar into a smooth paste.
When the meat is ready, fish out the bay leaves and thyme. Drain the cooking liquid into a saucepan and skim off any fat. Cover the meat and set aside. Beat the starch and vinegar mixture into the sauce and simmer for 5 minutes. Correct the seasoning. Pour the sauce back over the meat and onions.