Flemish Beef Stew

It's a beef stew simmered in dark beer with onions and sometimes gingerbread for a sweet and tangy flavor.

Flemish carbonade is a traditional dish of Belgian cuisine, more precisely from the region of Flanders. It's a beef stew simmered in dark beer with onions and sometimes gingerbread for a sweet and tangy flavor. Here is a recipe to prepare a real Flemish carbonade:

Ingredients:

• 1.5 kg of beef for braising (such as walnut gîte or chuck), cut into large cubes
• 4 large onions, cut into rings
• 3 to 4 slices of gingerbread (Belgian gingerbread if possible)
• 750 ml of dark beer (like a Belgian abbey beer)
• 2 tablespoons of red wine vinegar
• 2 tablespoons of Dijon mustard
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar (brown sugar)
• 2 sprigs of thyme
• 2 bay leaves
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Butter or vegetable oil for cooking

Instructions:

1. In a large casserole dish, heat some butter or oil over medium-high heat. Brown the pieces of meat on all sides, removing them from the casserole once they are nicely browned.

2. Reduce the heat to medium and add the onions to the pot. Fry them until they are tender and lightly browned.

3. Return the meat to the casserole with the onions. Sprinkle brown sugar over the meat-onion mixture and mix well to melt.

4. Incorporate the Dijon mustard and red wine vinegar. Mix to coat the meat and onions.

5. Add the gingerbread slices to the casserole dish, then slowly pour the dark beer over them.

6. Add the thyme, bay leaves, salt and pepper to taste. Mix well.

7. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low. Cover the pot and simmer gently for about 2 to 3 hours, until the meat is tender and the sauce has thickened.

8. Serve the Flemish carbonade hot, traditionally accompanied by Belgian fries, mashed potatoes or baked potatoes.

9. You can also accompany this dish with a Belgian dark beer for an authentic experience.

Flemish carbonade is even better when reheated the next day, because the flavors have time to blend together. Bon appétit !