Beef Carbonnade

Belgian Beer & Onion Stew

from Cook's Illustrated

The meat in this dish literally melts in your mouth; part of the secret is getting the meat really well seared. You can make it in the morning and reheat it later. I'm sure it freeze well too. I froze a small portion by putting it into a little Food-saver bag, freezing the bag and then food-saving it (you can't food-save liquids in bags unless they are frozen).

3 1/2 pounds top blade steak***, 1 inch thick, trimmed of gristle and fat and cut into 1-inch pieces
table salt and ground black pepper
3 tablespoons vegetable oil 
2 pounds yellow onions (about 3 medium)******
1 tablespoon tomato paste 
2 medium cloves of 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 pound egg noodles*****

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.

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 hours.

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.)

Serve over boiled, buttered egg noodles.

Serves 6.

*I've recently starting buying fresh thyme at the market every week; it is a really nice herb to have around, adding a touch something interesting to many dishes.

**Best choice is Chimay Pères Trappistes Ale-Première--the Belgians have had this right the whole time. This traditional Trappist ale is "rich and robust" and brings out a "very deep flavor" with a "dark chocolate finish" in the Carbonnade.

***I got a 7 blade pot roast and cut it up.

****Apparently, the Swanson's chicken or beef broth packaged in the box is less processed and more flavorful than its canned variety.

*****The quality & taste of egg noodles varies a lot. Here are the ratings:

BLACK FOREST GIRL EXTRA BROAD: "Thick, full body," "plain, clean taste;"
LIGHT AND FLUFFY EXTRA WIDE: "Nice egg finish," "not too rich;"
PENNSYLVANIA DUTCH HOMESTYLE: "Nice texture," "not bad;"
MUELLER'S HEARTY: "Clean wheat flavor," "pasty surface;"
BARILLA EXTRA WIDE: "Terrible flavor," "bordering on tough;"
DAVINCI EXTRA WIDE: "Fake and wheaty," "a sticky mess;" and,
MANISCHEWITZ WIDE: "Heavy, limp, lifeless," "slightly plastic flavor."

******I sliced mine with a mandoline. Caveat: don't slice them too thin; they have to sustain a long cooking.