Carbonnade: Beef, Brown Beer, and Onions

Just about half of my posts recently could have been intended for entry in the Weekend Cookbook Challenge, winter comfort food edition. This is one, adapted from yet another recipe in my Belgian cookbook, courtesy of Ruth Van Waerebeek, is also a version of a dish my mother used to make. I do not have my mother's recipe, and she doesn't remember how she made it, but it was a party piece of hers, possibly from her much consulted New York Times Cookbook.

As it is meant to be made with a dark Belgian "Abbey type" beer, I took myself over to the Beer Den, a bar/beer shop in Edgewood, where a wide variety of imported beers are sold by the six pack, and, lucky for me, by the individual bottle. I had intended to buy a couple of six packs, so my friends could drink some with their carbonnade, but it turns out this stuff is really expensive, and I didn't have enough money with me. I would up buying two different bottles to sample, before pouring into the stew.Later, I bought a case of "Belgian Style" beer to drink along with, at the beer distributor.

Unless you are from Pennsylvania, and a practised hoop jumper, the rules on alcoholic beverages may confound you. Typically, outlanders moving to the Commonwealth find themselves unable to purchase that six pack they were used to buying at the grocery store. They notice that they find neither wine, nor beer at the Giant Eagle. They are informed that Pennsylvania has "State Stores" where liquor is sold. They find one, and there are the wine and spirits , but no beer. The liquor store clerk informs them (with distain) that beer is sold only at licensed "Beer Distributors." They finally locate one, and discover that only cases and kegs are sold there, along with some gratutious cokes and pretzels. Six packs are unavailable , and can be purchased only at certain bars. Even knowing all this, it is quite the run around to get a 6 pack.

This recipe makes vast quantites of carbonnade- obviously you can halve it, but why, when you can have a great dinner for next week tucked in the fridge? Like many stews, it is better made a day ahead, so the flavors can blend. This stew has a very distinctive flavor, quite specific to this particular sort of strong tasting beer, and I am quite sure that if it was made with ordinary good beer of some other sort, it would be hardly recognizable. (It might well, however, be very good.)

If you'd like to make this, to serve 6-8, you will need:

4 lbs of chuck, cut in cubes (unless you have a big family, and or eat beef stew regularly you will be surprised to see that this is quite costly, though once it was inexpensive)
dark brown Abbey type Belgian beer two 12 oz bottles
flour
salt
pepper
onions 2 lbs, peeled and thinly sliced
fresh thyme- 2 sprigs
bay leaves 2
brown sugar one tbsp
currant or herb jelly one tbsp
butter
chopped fresh parsley

Dredge the beef cubes in flour, seasoned with salt and pepper. Melt several tablespoons of butter in a heavy frying pan or saute pan, and brown the beef cubes, deeply, thoroughly and evenly. As each panful is browned, transfer the cubes into a large dutch oven. All this meat and butter browning produces a wonderful rich beefy aroma, which lingers nicely. Add more butter as needed. Next, brown the onions evenly, without burning. This will take about 20 minutes. Move the onions to the dutch oven, over the beef. Deglaze browning pan with some of the beer. Pour over beef, together with the rest of the beer. Add the herbs and bring the stew to a boil. Turn to simmer, cover and cook until very tender and gravy has thickened- about 2 1/2 to 3 hours. About a half hour before it's done, add the remaining ingredients and stir well. Correct seasoning. dust with parsley, and serve.

I was surprised to discover that the added sweetenings at the end seemed to really round out the taste of the gravy-they did not make it noticeably sweet. We had the carbonnade over noodles, rather than with the suggested potatoes, and there was plenty of the savory gravy . Maybe I'll save up so I can drink the real belgian abbey type beer with it next time.

Comments

[Baking Soda]

Love this! Children in Holland say "draadjesvlees" literally thready meat. My grandmother sometimes added some mustard and a slice of gingerbread (spiced honeycake?) in chunks for a more rounded flavour and at the same time it helps to bind and thus thicken the gravy.

[anapestic]

Where I live, you can only buy liquor at the county stores (every county sets its own rules). You can also buy beer and wine at the county liquor stores, but you can only buy cold beer at beer and wine stores, though you can get chilled wines at the liquor stores. I still remember the first time I went into a grocery store in Seattle and saw a whole aisle of wine.

The carbonnade sounds terrific. Perhaps I will make it for a potluck that's coming up next Saturday if I don't bring a dessert instead. I think that Baking Soda's grandmother had a good idea. Some ground gingersnaps added later in the cooking might be good, though the brown sugar and currant jelly might accomplish the same thing in a different way, and I've never put currant jelly in my beef stew yet, either, so I need to try that.

[Alicat]

Thank you for partcipating! The round up can be found here:
http://somethingsoclever.typepad.com/weekend_cookbook_challeng/2006/02/wcc2_roundup_.html

:o) ~Alicat