We offer you a dish in tribute to our Belgian roots, one of the must-haves of the Low Countries, which appears on our table a few times a year.
Flemish beef stew is a dish made of pieces of meat slowly simmered in a beer sauce. Originally from Belgium, the term "carbonade" comes from the word "charcoal", as this dish used to be simmered for a long time over charcoal embers. Of course, a stainless-steel or enamelled cast-iron casserole with a lid will work just as well!
Ideally, prepare it the day before, or even 2 days ahead—it is even better!
Ingredients for 4 to 5 people:
- 1 kg boneless beef shank
- 200 g smoked bacon for grilling
- 1 tbsp oil
- 2 onions
- 30 g butter
- 75 cl Belgian beer; Echappée will work wonders
- 1 tbsp brown sugar (available in supermarkets)
- 1 tbsp flour
- 4 slices of gingerbread
- Salt and pepper
Recipe:
- Cut the meat into pieces, taking care to remove excess fat.
- Quickly sear the meat, remove it from the casserole, and melt the butter in it.
- Add the onions sliced into strips and let them sweat, stirring from time to time.
- Add the brown sugar and the smoked bacon cut into small pieces.
- Season with salt and pepper.
- Once the water has evaporated, add the meat and its juices.
- Add 1 tbsp flour over the meat, then mix well.
- Add the beer; the meat should be covered.
- Add the gingerbread to the casserole.
- Bring everything to the boil, then lower the heat, cover with the lid, and let simmer for 2 hours 30 minutes.
- Stir the dish every 20 to 30 minutes.
The next day, reheat over low heat for 1 hour.
To accompany this Belgian dish: fries and Echappée… once!
And to add a little colour, add a few carrots at the same time as the onions.
