Beef Cooked in Beer (Carbonnade a la Flamande)

Another one of those "bin dere done dat's" last night's dinner is the perfect welcome home for my great white hunter. If there's one thing I know for sure, I'm bound to please him when there's beef on the menu and this just isn't your ordinary old everyday kinda' beef either.

Browned well in the drippings rendered from a quarter pound of bacon, this Belgian/Flemish method of braising is one of the first things I impressed him with before we were married - second of course to my winning personality and incredible wit. Loaded with golden browned onions, spiced with thyme, bay leaves and Dijon mustard the beef and bacon go back into the pot along with 2 bottles of amber beer, some consomme and a couple of tablespoons of red wine vinegar.

Braised in a 325 oven for 2.5 hours, it all comes out looking somewhat like this.  Notice I said somewhat. It can also come out looking like this - why the difference?

Well I know it's not rocket science but the key is the bigger the pot, the quicker it cooks because the heat is distributed over a larger area which means the liquid is reduced and the meat cooks faster. Last night's braise was accomplished in my favorite 7 quart oval Dutch oven in 2 hours 20 minutes while the second picture came from a smaller 4 quart pot that took 3 hours and provided a lot more gravy. Same amount of meat, same heat, same everything except for the pot. If I had to choose between the two I'm not sure which one's better because they're both delicious but for the Big Guy, he'd pick last night's version hand's down likely because the gravy didn't get in the way of all the meat. LOL

By the way, be sure to give yourself plenty of prep time to get this baby in the oven. It takes about an hour by the time the bacon's crisp, the meat's well browned in batches without crowding the pan, and the onions are a nice golden color before the liquid's introduced and the pot hits the oven, so be sure to plan accordingly. 

Carbonnade a la Flamande  (Beef cooked in beer) (adapted from Craig Claiborne)

3 lb boneless chuck, some fat removed & cut into 2" cubes

¼ lb lean bacon, diced

Vegetable oil if necessary

3 large onions, sliced (about 1-1/2 lbs)

3 tablespoons butter

3 cloves garlic, finely chopped

Flour for dredging meat

Salt and fresh ground pepper to taste

3 sprigs fresh thyme, or 1 tsp dried

2 bay leaves

1 tablespoon brown sugar

2 bottles  beer (I use amber…don’t use beer that is too dark as it will be too bitter)

1 can beef consommé (or broth)

3 tablespoons Dijon mustard

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

Salt & pepper to taste

In a large Dutch oven over medium heat, cook bacon until browned and crisp. Remove from pan and set aside. Reserve bacon fat. Flour, salt & pepper meat cubes and brown in batches in Dutch oven in reserved bacon fat. If the bacon was very lean, add oil if necessary. Do not crowd pan. Remove meat cubes from pan as they are done and set aside in a bowl along with bacon.

Preheat oven to 325. Add butter to Dutch oven then add onions & cook until lightly browned, scraping up “fond” from bottom of pan as onions sweat. Add garlic, salt, pepper, thyme, bay leaves, sugar and cook for 1 minute. Return browned beef and bacon to pot along with beer, consomme, red wine vinegar and mustard. Bring to a simmer. Cover closely and place in oven for 2-1/2 to 3 hours, or until beef is very tender. Remove lid from pot during last half hour of cooking to reduce liquid as required.  Skim fat from casserole. Taste for seasoning. Serves 6

A year ago - Pear and Apple Crumble Pie  Two year's ago - Stromboli Roll 

  

Comments

[Lea]

I can make this with rice flour! and beer is ok so far for me - just like blue cheese - something in the processing renders the gluten harmless!Well, YUM - I think I would like the top one better myself - and Sweet William would go for either - HA!

[Lea]

And we all know that, of course, it is your winning personality and incredible wit and outstanding good looks that won the Big Guy Over - but your food kept him! hahahahahaha Same with my Sweet WIlliam - today is our 8th wedding anniversary (the Civil one - we did the Church one on June 15th - once is not enough!)

[June]

Lea - you could even leave out the flour part but I think meat tastes better when it's dredged in flour before browning. This is "some yum".

Congratulations on your 8th anniversary. I'd marry my guy more than once too if I could. He's a gem. mmm - I'll have to ask him re your cookin' comment. LOLOL

[Lorraine]

Bacon, beef and beer...the way to a man's heart for sure. Ditto on Lea's comment and happy anniversary to her too.

[June]

Lorraine - you're right. It's hard to go wrong with the 3 B's. LOL