Beef Carbonnade

Beef Carbonnade

This winter warmer is a Flemish recipe, also a traditional dish throughout the north of France. Carbonnade means "charcoal cooked" but this oven-cooked stew of beef in beer or stout is a definite pleaser! Delicious with jacket potatoes or crusty bread. This beautiful pot of stew had almost 2 kg of organic diced beef from Kelvin Grove markets, the ingredients were doubled and stout was my choice!

 Ingredients:

    •    30g of butter
    •    2 - 3 tablespoon oil
    •    1 kg of beef rump or chuck steak, cubed
    •    4 onions, chopped
    •    3 garlic clove, crushed
    •    1 teaspoon brown sugar
    •    1 tablespoon plain flour
    •    500 ml beer or stout
    •    2 bay leaves
    •    4 sprigs of thyme

Method
1. Pre heat the oven (fan force) to 160 degrees Celsius. Melt the butter in a pan over high heat with 1 tablespoon of oil. Brown the meat in batches and then lift out onto a plate.
2.Add another tablespoon of oil to the pan and add the onion. Cook over moderate heat for 10 minutes, then add the garlic and sugar and cook for another 5 minutes, adding another tablespoon of oil if needed. Lift out the onion onto another plate.
3. Reduce the heat to low and pour in any juices that have drained from the browned meat, then stir in the flour. Remove from the heat and stir in the beer or stout, a little at a time. Return to the heat and let the mixture gently simmer and thicken. Season with salt and pepper.
4. Layer the meat and onion in a casserole pot, tucking the bay leaves and thyme sprigs between the layers. Pour the liquid over the meat, cover and bake for 2 1/2 to 3 hours, until meat is tender.
5. You may toast some baguette on both sides, then spread one side with Dijon mustard. Arrange them on top of the carbonnade, mustard side up and place the casserole under the grill for 1 minute.