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Belgian Carbonnade Flamande (Flemish Beef Stew Braised in Dark Abbey Beer with Caramelized Onions and Mustard Bread)
The crowning glory of Flemish cuisine: melting beef chuck simmered slowly in rich Belgian dark abbey beer with a mountain of caramelized onions, thickened with Dijon mustard-slathered bread into an unctuous sweet-savory gravy.
Prep
20 min
Cook
120 min
Total
140 min
Ingredients
4servings
- Beef chuck or braising steak, cut into 4 cm cubes800 g
- Yellow onions, thinly sliced4 piece
- Belgian dark abbey or Trappist ale500 ml
- Rich beef stock250 ml
- Slices of country bread or spice bread (pain d'épices)2 piece
- Dijon mustard for coating bread2 tbsp
- Belgian brown sugar (cassonade)1 tbsp
- Butter for sautéing30 g
- Salt1 tsp
Preparation Steps
1
In a cast-iron pot, melt butter and sear beef cubes in batches over high heat for 6-8 minutes until well browned. Remove to a plate.
8 min timer
2
In the same fat, add all sliced onions and cook over low heat for 15 minutes until softened and deeply caramelized. Sprinkle with brown sugar.
15 min timer
3
Return beef to pot, pour in dark Belgian ale and beef stock. Spread bread slices generously with Dijon mustard and place mustard-side down over stew.
5 min timer
4
Cover and simmer over very low heat for 100-110 minutes. The mustard bread dissolves naturally into the stew, thickening it into a rich, velvety gravy. Serve with Belgian frites.
100 min timer
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Provenance & Public Domain Audit
Source: European Gastronomic Heritage / Public Domain Archives (United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) & European Culinary Heritage)
Legal status: Public Domain (17 U.S.C. § 105) • 17 U.S.C. § 105
License: Creative Commons CC0 1.0 Universal
