Carbonnade Recipes

BELGIAN BEEF CARBONNADE

Steps:

• Preparation: Remove any excess fat from the beef and cut it in large cubes. Dice onions. Peel carrots and slice into coin shape pieces.
• Pour olive oil into a Dutch oven or large stew pot over a medium flame. Add diced onions and cook for about 3 minutes until they begin to sweat.
• Add the cubed beef and continue to cook about 5 minutes, making sure all the sides of the beef are brown.
• Sprinkle the brown sugar over the beef and onions. Continue to cook a couple minutes to caramelize a bit.
• Add the red wine vinegar, the beer, thyme, bay leaves, parsley and carrots. The liquid should cover the meat and carrots with about 1 cm (1/2 inch) on top. Stir. Reduce the flame, cover the pot, and let cook for about 2.5 hours. Be patient and let your stew cook slowly. Do not stir frequently.
• After 2 hours of cooking check the liquid level in the pot. If there is not much liquid for a sauce, add some water and continue to cook. Check the meat for its tenderness after 2 hours. The fork should enter the meat easily without the meat falling apart. Once it's tender go to the next step. Don't worry if the meat is ready before the time indicated above. Mine is usually done after 2.5 hours. [If you are making this dish in advance to reheat later, remove from the stove when the meat is still a little firm so that it becomes tender when reheating.]
• Add the mustard and stir.
• If the sauce is too thin, prepare a roux by mixing the flour and the butter together to make a smooth paste. Add the roux into pot and cook over low heat a few minutes to thicken up the sauce.
• Add salt and black pepper and adjust herbs to taste. You should be able to taste the meat.

BEEF CARBONNADE

Steps:

• Dredge beef in flour, shaking off excess. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in heavy large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1/3 of beef to skillet and cook until beef is brown on all sides, turning beef occasionally, about 6 minutes. Transfer to heavy large Dutch oven. Repeat process in 2 more batches, adding 1 tablespoon oil to skillet per batch.
• Heat remaining 1 tablespoon oil in same skillet over low heat. Stir in onions and garlic. Cook until onions are golden brown and very tender, stirring occasionally, about 20 minutes. Transfer onion mixture to Dutch over. Add broth, beer and thyme to beef mixture. Cover and simmer until beef is very tender when pierced with fork, approximately 1 hour 45 minutes.
• Remove cover. Boil stew as necessary until liquids are reduced to sauce consistency. (Can be prepared 3 days ahead; refrigerate. Return stew to simmer before continuing.) Serve stew with egg noodles and garnish with parsley.

CARBONNADE FLAMANDE

Steps:

• Marinate the beef overnight in the ale with the garlic and bay leaves. The next day, drain the beef from the marinade, reserving the marinade. Pat the meat dry with kitchen paper and toss it in the seasoned flour until evenly coated. Shake off any excess flour.
• Heat 2 tbsp of the olive oil in a large flameproof casserole until hot. Fry the beef in 3-4 batches for about 5 minutes per batch, stirring occasionally, until it is a rich golden brown all over. You may need to add a little more oil between batches but make sure it is hot again before adding the next batch. Remove the meat with a slotted spoon to a plate and set aside. Don't worry if the bottom of the casserole is starting to brown, this all adds to the flavour of the finished dish.
• Lower the heat to medium and fry the pancetta in the casserole for 6-8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until crisp and golden. Scoop the pancetta out with a slotted spoon and set aside with the beef.
• Preheat the oven to fan 140C/conventional 160C/gas 3. Tip the carrots, onions and leek into the casserole and fry, stirring occasionally, until they start to brown - this takes about 12 minutes. Spoon in the tomato purée and continue to cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly.
• Add the beef and pour in the reserved marinade. Bring to a simmer, scraping any sticky bits off the bottom of the pan, then add all the beef stock and bouquet garni to the casserole. Season with salt and pepper and bring everything to the boil. Remove from the heat. Cover with a lid and cook in the oven for 2 hours, stirring once halfway through. (The carbonnade may now be left to cool and frozen for up to 1 month. Add 100ml/31⁄2 fl oz more stock to the sauce when reheating.) When the beef is ready, taste for seasoning and add more salt and pepper if you think it needs it. Scatter the chopped parsley over the top and serve straight from the casserole, with creamy mash or jacket potatoes and buttered greens or cabbage.

CARBONADE FLAMANDE

Steps:

• To a casserole pan add butter. When butter is hot stir in onions and saute until caramelized. Pour browned onions into a sieve over a bowl and let drain. Pour the fat from the onions back into the casserole and when the fat is hot add beef, and remove as slices become brown. Drain in the sieve with the onions.
• In the same casserole, stir in the brown sugar and add the flour. When a roux has formed, stir in mustard and add beer slowly to deglaze the pan. Add beef stock and season with salt and pepper. Pour liquid into a bowl.
• Layer the casserole with the meat and onions, making 3 layers of meat, sandwiching 2 layers of onions. Add a bay leaf and a teaspoon of mixed herbs on each layer of onions. Pour beef sauce back into the casserole. Add more beer to cover the meat if necessary. Bring casserole to a boil, cover and bake in a 300 degree oven for 3 hours. Skim off fat, season with salt and pepper and serve.

BRISKET A LA CARBONNADE

Steps:

• Put a rack in the middle of oven and preheat to 350 degrees.
• Pat brisket dry and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Heat oil in a 6-to-8 quart heavy ovenproof pot or dutch oven over medium-high heat until hot, but not smoking. Brown meat well on all sides, about 10 minutes total. Transfer to a platter.
• Add onions and bay leaf to fat remaining in pot and cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until onions are golden, 10 to 15 minutes. Remove from heat and transfer half of onions to a bowl. Set brisket over onions in pot, then top with remaining onions. Add beer or beef boullion, beef cube, and vinegar (liquid should come about halfway up sides of meat; add water or more broth, if necessary) and bring to a boil.
• Cover pot, transfer to oven, and braise until meat is very tender, 3 to 3 1/2 hours. Let meat cool in sauce, uncovered, for 30 minutes.
• Transfer brisket to a cutting board. Skim off any fat from sauce, discard bay leaf, and season sauce with salt and pepper. Slice meat across the grain and serve with sauce.
• NOTE: If cooking ahead of time (1 to 2 days), cool the meat in the sauce, uncovered. Transfer to a large bowl (or keep in pot if it is enamel-coated on the inside). Cover with wax paper; then cover with aluminum foil and put in fridge (or just cover with wax paper and put the lid back on if storing in the dutch oven).
• Remove any solidified fat before reheating. To reheat, slice the cold meat across the grain and arrange in a shallow baking pan. Spoon the sauce with onions over the meat and reheat in a 325 degree oven for 45 minutes.

MAINLY MUSHROOM BEEF CARBONNADE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325°. In an ovenproof Dutch oven, heat 2 tablespoons oil over medium-high heat. Sprinkle beef with salt and pepper; brown in batches. Remove with a slotted spoon., Reduce heat to medium. Add onions to drippings; cook, stirring frequently, until dark golden brown, about 8 minutes. Stir in remaining oil; add mushrooms and garlic. Saute until mushrooms begin to brown and release their liquid. Stir in tomato paste., Add carrots, bread, bay leaves, thyme and bouillon. Add beer and water, stirring to loosen browned bits from pan. Bring to a boil; return beef to pan., Bake, covered, until meat is tender, 2 to 2-1/4 hours. Remove from oven; discard bay leaves. Stir in chocolate until melted.

CARBONNADE à LA FLAMANDE

Steps:

• Place a rack in the lower third of the oven. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Dry the beef and heat the fat in a 9- to 10-inch ovenproof casserole or pot until almost smoking. Brown the beef quickly on all sides, a few pieces at a time, removing them as they brown. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, toss to coat and set aside.
• Reduce heat. Stir in onions, adding more fat if necessary. Brown lightly about 10 minutes, stirring frequently. Season with salt and pepper. Stir in garlic. Set aside. Add stock to the pan and scrape up the brown bits and coagulated juices.
• Arrange half the beef in the pan and spread with half the onions. Repeat with the remaining beef and onions. Add enough beer to cover the meat. Stir in the brown sugar and bury the herb bouquet in the meat. Bring to a simmer, cover and place in the oven. Cook at a slow simmer (check occasionally) for 2 1/2 hours, until meat is tender.
• Remove from the oven and discard the herb bouquet. Remove beef and skim off the fat. Blend the arrowroot with 2 tablespoons vinegar and stir into the liquid. Simmer for 3 to 4 minutes, until thickened. Adjust seasonings. Return meat to the pan, stir and heat through. Serve with noodles.

BELGIAN BEEF CARBONNADE

Steps:

• Mix flour, salt, pepper and paprika. Roll beef cubes in this until well coated.
• Melt butter in large saucepan. Add onions; saute until soft and tender. Remove.
• In same pan over high heat, sear beef cubes, a few at a time.
• Return onions and meat to pan. Set on low heat.
• Add garlic, bay leaf, thyme and celery. Sprinkle on parsley; add sugar and beer.
• Bring to simmer while stirring. Cover and poach on low heat, 1 1/2 hours.
• Add vinegar. Simmer 5 minutes. .