Snow Day: Belgian Carbonnade
What could be better than being a kid and waking up to that radio announcement saying "SCHOOLS ARE CLOSED due to inclement weather!!!!" (I am dating myself, nowadays they do it via email!).
Yay! A snow day! We can sleigh ride, make snowmen and make snow angels!
Well, now that I am grown up (or so they tell me) I still love snow days.
Friday, we received 5" of the white fluffy stuff, the first of many annoying snow days!
But for me, I like this day because I am forced to stay indoors.
What do I do with my confinement?
Cook. Shovel the walk, cook, shovel the walk and cook.
What else?
Today I decided to make my yearly Belgian Carbonnade. It is the perfect comfort food for a cold snowy day. It makes a lot! so I freeze it for future meals.
This is a traditional Belgian beef stew made w/ good Belgian beer and simple ingredients.
It is traditionally served over potatoes, but we like it over egg noodles too.
There are many variations of this recipe, but most use beer. I have seen some with vinegar. This is my favorite of all the recipes I have tried. It is adapted from Real Simple magazine from years ago. It is always a winner....
Belgian Beef Carbonnade:
3 lbs. good quality chuck meat (stew meat)
3 onions, sliced thick
2 cloves garlic, chopped
4 slices bacon, chopped
2 bottles Belgian dark beer (I used Leffe Belgian beer, cause that's what I had)
2 tbsp light brown sugar
1 tbsp chopped fresh thyme
1 tbsp chopped fresh rosemary
1 14 oz. can of chopped tomatoes
kosher salt and pepper
In a heavy dutch oven, cook your bacon until crisp. Remove with a slotted spoon and transfer to a bowl.
Put a little olive oil in that same pot.
Now salt and pepper your beef cubes, and cook for about 7 minutes per side until browned.
I do this in 2-3 batches.
DON'T CROWD YOUR MEAT OR IT WILL STEAM! It is time consuming, but you want a nice crusty exterior.
Remove your beef and transfer to the bowl with the bacon.
Cook your onions and garlic a few minutes until wilted. Now add your tomatoes, brown sugar, herbs and 2 bottles of beer. Place the beef back into the pot. Bring to a boil then turn down to a simmer for 10 minutes.
Place your pot in a 350 degree oven for 2 hours to braise.
This is gorgeous stuff. The house smells so yummy.
I have to go now and shovel the walk!
Yay! A snow day! We can sleigh ride, make snowmen and make snow angels!
Well, now that I am grown up (or so they tell me) I still love snow days.
Friday, we received 5" of the white fluffy stuff, the first of many annoying snow days!
But for me, I like this day because I am forced to stay indoors.
What do I do with my confinement?
Cook. Shovel the walk, cook, shovel the walk and cook.
What else?
Today I decided to make my yearly Belgian Carbonnade. It is the perfect comfort food for a cold snowy day. It makes a lot! so I freeze it for future meals.
This is a traditional Belgian beef stew made w/ good Belgian beer and simple ingredients.
It is traditionally served over potatoes, but we like it over egg noodles too.
There are many variations of this recipe, but most use beer. I have seen some with vinegar. This is my favorite of all the recipes I have tried. It is adapted from Real Simple magazine from years ago. It is always a winner....
Belgian Beef Carbonnade:
3 lbs. good quality chuck meat (stew meat)
3 onions, sliced thick
2 cloves garlic, chopped
4 slices bacon, chopped
2 bottles Belgian dark beer (I used Leffe Belgian beer, cause that's what I had)
2 tbsp light brown sugar
1 tbsp chopped fresh thyme
1 tbsp chopped fresh rosemary
1 14 oz. can of chopped tomatoes
kosher salt and pepper
In a heavy dutch oven, cook your bacon until crisp. Remove with a slotted spoon and transfer to a bowl.
Put a little olive oil in that same pot.
Now salt and pepper your beef cubes, and cook for about 7 minutes per side until browned.
I do this in 2-3 batches.
DON'T CROWD YOUR MEAT OR IT WILL STEAM! It is time consuming, but you want a nice crusty exterior.
Remove your beef and transfer to the bowl with the bacon.
Cook your onions and garlic a few minutes until wilted. Now add your tomatoes, brown sugar, herbs and 2 bottles of beer. Place the beef back into the pot. Bring to a boil then turn down to a simmer for 10 minutes.
Place your pot in a 350 degree oven for 2 hours to braise.
This is gorgeous stuff. The house smells so yummy.
I have to go now and shovel the walk!
Comments
I just - JUST 5 minutes ago - read about doing this recipe with chicken in January's bon appetit. I like the beef idea better, especially for this time of year.
Love your process shot of the beef and bacon sitting aside, especially as it drives the point home about really searing each piece and not overcrowding. Lovely dish!!
Carbonnade, right down to the Leffe...great beer - no doubt a delish stew.
Another difficult dish to photograph.