French cuisine · Meat & Kebab

Carbonade Flamande

Beef braised for hours in dark beer with plenty of onion, thickened with mustard-spread gingerbread.

Ingredients · for 4 servings

• 1kg beef stew meat
• 4 onions
• 500ml dark beer
• 2 slices gingerbread
• 2 tbsp medium-strength mustard
• 1 tbsp brown sugar
• 2 tbsp flour
• 300ml stock
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 sprigs thyme
• 2 tbsp clarified butter
• Salt, pepper

Instructions

1. Pat the beef dry, season with salt and pepper, and toss in the flour, tapping off the excess.
2. Sear the meat in the clarified butter in batches for 6–8 min. until browned all over, then remove.
3. In the same pot, cook the onions, sliced into rings, over medium heat for 10 min. until golden brown, sprinkle over the brown sugar and let caramelize briefly.
4. Deglaze with the dark beer, add the stock and scrape up the browned bits from the bottom, then return the meat, bay leaves and thyme to the pot.
5. Spread the gingerbread slices thickly with the mustard, lay them on top of the meat and braise everything, covered, over the lowest heat for 2.5 hours – the gingerbread will break down and thicken the sauce.
6. Stir the sauce until glossy and thick, season with salt and pepper and serve hot.