Flemish Beef Carbonnade with Chimay Blue

Ingredients

• Stewing beef, preferably beef cheeks (Cut into pieces if necessary)
• Bacon (One piece)
• 2 Onions
• 2 Shallots
• 2 gousses Garlic
• Celery (One piece)
• Lard (For searing the bacon, aromatic vegetables, and meat)
• Brown sugar (Added to caramelize the meat; quantity not specified in the source)
• Hopped vinegar (A splash, for deglazing)
• Vegetable stock (One ladleful)
• Chimay Blue dark beer (Quantity not specified; the source indicates dark beers)
• Gingerbread (Sliced)
• Traditional mustard (For spreading on the gingerbread)
• Whole-grain mustard (For spreading on the gingerbread)

Steps

1. 1

   Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the beef and boil it for 5 minutes, skimming regularly to remove impurities.

2. 2

   Prepare the aromatic vegetables with the onions, garlic, shallots, and celery.

3. 3

   Heat a Dutch oven. Add a piece of lard, then sear the bacon thoroughly until well browned.

4. 4

   Remove the bacon from the Dutch oven and set it aside.

5. 5

   In the same Dutch oven, sauté the aromatic vegetables vigorously in the lard.

6. 6

   Remove the aromatic vegetables and set them aside.

7. 7

   Place the meat in the Dutch oven and cook it for 5 minutes.

8. 8

   Add the brown sugar and let it caramelize with the meat.

9. 9

   Deglaze with a splash of hopped vinegar.

10. 10

    Return the bacon and aromatic vegetables to the Dutch oven.

11. 11

    Add one ladleful of vegetable stock, then pour in the Chimay Blue dark beer.

12. 12

    Cut the gingerbread into slices. Spread the slices generously with the traditional mustard and whole-grain mustard.

13. 13

    Place the mustard-spread gingerbread slices in the carbonnade.

14. 14

    Simmer the carbonnade over low heat for at least 3 hours, until the meat is tender and meltingly soft.

15. 15

    Remove all the meat from the Dutch oven and set it aside.

16. 16

    Blend the sauce directly in the Dutch oven using an immersion blender.

17. 17

    Return the meat to the sauce or serve it with the blended sauce. Serve with homemade fries.

Notes

The source does not specify the quantities of beef, bacon, beer, gingerbread, mustards, lard, brown sugar, or vinegar. It only indicates one ladleful of stock, a splash of vinegar, and simmering for at least 3 hours. The carbonnade is served with homemade fries.

Nutrition per serving

• main course
• Belgian cuisine
• Flemish carbonnade
• stew
• slow-cooked
• meat
• beer-based
• comfort food