Carbonnade a la Flamende

[justjohn]

Hey folks. Since this is a heavy snow day I have decided to cook and make a Belgian beef, beer and onion stew. I have never attempted it.

Has anyone tried it yet?

Don't have any Dutch Ale but I do have Newcastle and this is suppose to go well.

[livia]

justjohn said:

Hey folks. Since this is a heavy snow day I have decided to cook and make a Belgian beef, beer and onion stew. I have never attempted it.

Has anyone tried it yet?

Don't have any Dutch Ale but I do have Newcastle and this is suppose to go well.

Hi Just John, what is Belgian beef, beer and onion stew? The only food cooked with beer is I know is knuckle of pork in beer. We call it in Poland knuckle of pork Bavarian style. Golonka po bawarsku.

[justjohn]

livia said:

justjohn said:

Hey folks. Since this is a heavy snow day I have decided to cook and make a Belgian beef, beer and onion stew. I have never attempted it.

Has anyone tried it yet?

Don't have any Dutch Ale but I do have Newcastle and this is suppose to go well.

Hi Just John, what is Belgian beef, beer and onion stew? The only food cooked with beer is I know is knuckle of pork in beer. We call it in Poland knuckle of pork Bavarian style. Golonka po bawarsku.

Carbonnade a la Flamande—Belgian Beef, Beer, and Onion Stew
from the Episode Americas Test Kitchen: Beef Stew, Best Beef Stew

Top blade steaks (also called blade or flatiron steaks) are our first choice, but any boneless roast from the chuck will work. If you end up using a chuck roast, look for the chuck eye roast, an especially flavorful cut that can easily be trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces. Buttered egg noodles or mashed potatoes make excellent accompaniments to carbonnade. The traditional copper-colored Belgian ale works best in this stew. If you can't find one, choose another dark or amber-colored ale of your liking.

Serves 6

3 1/2 pounds blade steaks , 1 inch thick, trimmed of gristle and fat and cut into 1-inch pieces (see illustrations below)
Table salt and ground black pepper
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 pounds yellow onions (about 3 medium), halved and sliced
about 1/4 inch thick (about 8 cups)
1 tablespoon tomato paste
2 medium cloves garlic , minced or pressed through garlic press
(about 2 teaspoons)
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3/4 cup low-sodium chicken broth
3/4 cup low-sodium beef broth
1 1/2 cups beer (12-ounce bottle or can)
4 sprigs fresh thyme , tied with kitchen twine
2 bay leaves
1 tablespoon cider vinegar


1. Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position; heat oven to 300 degrees. Dry beef thoroughly with paper towels, then season generously with salt and pepper. Heat 2 teaspoons oil in large heavy-bottomed Dutch oven over medium-high heat until beginning to smoke; add about one-third of beef to pot. Cook without moving pieces until well browned, 2 to 3 minutes; using tongs, turn each piece and continue cooking until second side is well browned, about 5 minutes longer. Transfer browned beef to medium bowl. Repeat with additional 2 teaspoons oil and half of remaining beef. (If drippings in bottom of pot are very dark, add about 1/2 cup of above-listed chicken or beef broth and scrape pan bottom with wooden spoon to loosen browned bits; pour liquid into bowl with browned beef, then proceed.) Repeat once more with 2 teaspoons oil and remaining beef.

2. Add remaining 1 tablespoon oil to now-empty Dutch oven; reduce heat to medium-low. Add onions, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and tomato paste; cook, scraping bottom of pot with wooden spoon to loosen browned bits, until onions have released some moisture, about 5 minutes. Increase heat to medium and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until onions are lightly browned, 12 to 14 minutes. Stir in garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add flour and stir until onions are evenly coated and flour is lightly browned, about 2 minutes. Stir in broths, scraping pan bottom to loosen browned bits; stir in beer, thyme, bay, vinegar, browned beef with any accumulated juices, and salt and pepper to taste. Increase heat to medium-high and bring to full simmer, stirring occasionally; cover partially, then place pot in oven. Cook until fork inserted into beef meets little resistance, about 2 to 2 1/2 hours.

3. Discard thyme and bay. Adjust seasonings with salt and pepper to taste and serve. (Can be cooled and refrigerated in airtight container for up to 4 days; reheat over medium-low heat.)


Just started to prep the ingrediants.

;D ;D

[Mary]

justjohn said:

Hey folks. Since this is a heavy snow day I have decided to cook and make a Belgian beef, beer and onion stew. I have never attempted it.

Has anyone tried it yet?

Don't have any Dutch Ale but I do have Newcastle and this is suppose to go well.

Never heard of Belgin Beef. But if you want to send me some I'll try it.....

Lots of people do venison in beer, at least here in PA. They say it takes the wild taste out. I have had both ways and have no preference.

Good luck with your roast, I'm sure it will turn out well.

Mary

[valpomike]

Just john,

What time do we eat? I will be there. Sounds good to me.

Michael Dabrowski

[livia]

Does any of the fine cooks gathered here know if the Dutch oven from Just John's recipe may be replaced with pressure pot?

Happy cooking, Just John! ;D ;D ;D ;

[justjohn]

livia said:

Does any of the fine cooks gathered here know if the Dutch oven from Just John's recipe may be replaced with pressure pot?

Happy cooking, Just John! ;D ;D ;D ;

Livia,

I am assuming a pressure cooker would work. The timing would be critical.

It is now after 6:PM and we just finished dinner. It turned out delicious and nothing was left. Have to make a bit more next time.

[Mary]

justjohn said:

livia said:

Does any of the fine cooks gathered here know if the Dutch oven from Just John's recipe may be replaced with pressure pot?

Happy cooking, Just John! ;D ;D ;D ;

Livia,

I am assuming a pressure cooker would work. The timing would be critical.

It is now after 6:PM and we just finished dinner. It turned out delicious and nothing was left. Have to make a bit more next time.

You didn't save any for me?!



I'm glad it was so good, the recipe sounded delicious.

Mary

[valpomike]

livia,

I don't think a pressure pot will work, it may overdue it, and make it fall apart.

Michael Dabrowski

[rdywenur]

Does any of the fine cooks gathered here know if the Dutch oven from Just John's recipe may be replaced with pressure pot?

Happy cooking, Just John! ;

Livia...I don't see why you couldn't adapt this recipe to a pressure cooker but as JJ said the timeing would be crucial. Maybe you can find a recipe similar to judge the timing. I was given a pressure cooker for a wedding gift. I still have it and have never used it because I have always been afraid to use it. I understand the ones made today are much safer. Maybe one day.....

[valpomike]

Livia,

Here the old pressure cooker, or you called pot, would blow up, if you were not very carefull. Things have changed much, we even now have electric ones. You will need change the time you cook it, but it will work.

Michael Dabrowski

[livia]

rdywenur said:

Livia...I don't see why you couldn't adapt this recipe to a pressure cooker but as JJ said the timeing would be crucial

Yes, I will try 30 minutes and see what happens ;D ;D ;D
I undetstand the proper name is pressure cooker in US? In Poland we just call it 'szybkowar' which is literally instantcooker We too have gotten it as a wedding present. I am not afraid to use it. I like to cook (well, from time time!!) but I like to do it as fast as can be. And with a pressure cooker the heat and the smell is inside the pot not all around. The electric ones are less safe and you can't quickly cool it when very short time of cooking is needed. So, no vegetables from electric cooker, Michael. My parents use old style pressure cooker with a weight-valve until now. I used it too occasionally. The valve never failed And a lot of time is saved.

[pieter]

Just John,

I love Belgian cuisine, had the opportunity to eat Belgian food and eat in Belgian restaurants for 25 years, because my parents had a holiday house in the French speaking part of Belgium, in the Arden mountains for 25 years (1978-2003), and I probably spend a few years of my life in Belgium. We ate a lot of Game food there, Wild Boar, the European Roe Deer, Deer, the European Hare, Trout from mountainstreams and rivers and just the delicious Belgian staek with Belgian fries (the best).
Belgian cuisine is as good as the French one, Belgians love to go out and eat and drink, they have a very nice kitchen and the best beers in the world. We Dutch say the Belgians have a Bourgondic lifestile, they enjoy food and drinks and the quality of life a Souther-ners more (than the strict Calvinist Northerners), I have to admid that I find the Belgian beers better than my Dutch beer.

I have a diner evening with another bachelor and friend here in Arnhem, and we eat together every week on wednesday evening. First we go to the supermarket at 17.30 and then we go to his house or my house, we switch every week, and then we cook a nice Dutch diner. Next to that we always have a bag with special Belgian beers, one for during the preperation of the meal, one or two for during the diner and a few afterwards. We love Belgian beers.

Hoegaarden (Wheat beer), Hoegaarden Grand Cru, Leffe, Gulden Draak (Dragon d’or / Golden Dragon), *Duvel (Devil), Grimbergen, De Koninck (Tripel beer), Chimay beers and Maes beer.

We have only Heineken, Amstel, Grolsch, Oranje boom (orange tree), Hertog jan (Duke Jan), Gulpener, Lindeboom and some inferior beers (in my opinion) like Dommelsch, Bavaria and Brand. The beer I drink most (out of economical reasons) is Grolsch, and second most is Heineken and the other Dutch ordinairy beers. But the Belgian and Irish ones are special. I love Guinnes too!

Our local A liquor store has 450 sorts of beer, and amongst them the best European bears, especially Belgian beers, because in my view Belgium is the best beer country in the world, with one of the greatests European kitchens, wheather Flemish or Wallon, does not matter, both peoples have exellent food.

P.S.- Hoegaarden Wheat bear (called White beer in Dutch and Flemish) is delicious with a slice of lemon.

Links:
www.hoegaarden.com/nl/productinfo_witbier.html
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duvel_Moortgat_Brewery
www.vansteenberge.com/htm/1nl/11300nl.htm
www.dekoninck.be/home.php?lan=EN
mujblog.bloguje.cz/img/guinnes20pint20glass.jpg

[pieter]

Burgundic life stance

A way of living which is said to be typical for the people who live in the Southern Dutch provinces of Brabant and Limburg and Belgium (you have also a Belgian Brabant and Limburg). These Southern Catholics were described in the past as more easy going and relaxed people than the Northern Calvinists. Burgundic (Bourgondisch in Dutch and Flemish) is used as an adjective to point at the fact that life is enjoyed very much. Deze term derives from the dukes of *Burgundy a side branch of the french Royal house of Valois, who built a powerful empire in the North-east from present France in 1400, which consisted largely from the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxemburg, Northern- France, Switzerland and a part of Eastern France. Well known dukes of Burgundy were **Philip the Good and ***Charles the Bold. Their court was well known for it's great luxery and en richness. The inhabitants of the Southern-Dutch provinces North-Brabant and Limburg and especially the Belgians are often called Burgundic ('Bourgondisch'), because they like to take time to enjoy a meal and a good drink.

Pieter

By the way I belong to the North Dutch, from above the Rhine river and therefor
are not a Burgundic person unfortunately. (family roots in the Calvinist North and
Catholic Poland. I have no idea if the Poles are Burgundic or not?)

This short article was translated from the Dutch Wikipedia article nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bourgondisch_%28levenshouding%29

Links:
* en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duchy_of_Burgundy
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bourgogne (a region of France with exellent wine)
** en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philip_the_Good
*** en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_the_Bold

[pieter]

justjohn said:

Hey folks. Since this is a heavy snow day I have decided to cook and make a Belgian beef, beer and onion stew. I have never attempted it.

Has anyone tried it yet?

Don't have any Dutch Ale but I do have Newcastle and this is suppose to go well.

John,

Carbonnade is not my favorite meat, but I have to say that your menue sounds delicious,
and that you have perfect Northern-American beers (American or Canadian) to replace the Blegian beers or Dutch ale. For cooking I often use special beers, because ordinairy beers like Heineken here or Budwiser in the US are less suitable, the dark beers are the best!

Pieter