Description
Beef Carbonnade is a hearty Belgian stew featuring tender beef short ribs braised in beer, beef stock, and aromatic herbs. This dish combines rich flavors from caramelized onions, mushrooms, and smoky speck, slow-cooked into a deeply satisfying main course perfect for cozy meals.
Ingredients
Scale
Meat
- 1.5 kg beef short ribs - trimmed
Vegetables
- 1 large carrot diced
- 2 brown onions sliced
- 300 g button mushrooms, whole if small or thickly sliced
- 2 fresh garlic cloves crushed
Other
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- ¼ cup plain/all purpose flour
- 150 g speck diced
- 2 tablespoon tomato paste
- 2 tablespoon wholegrain mustard
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves or 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary finely chopped
- 350 ml beer (lager or beer of choice)
- 500 ml beef stock
- salt & pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 160 degrees Celsius (320 degrees Fahrenheit) to prepare for slow baking the beef carbonnade.
- Prepare Beef: Cut the beef short ribs into individual ribs and dust them evenly with plain/all purpose flour. This helps in browning and thickening the sauce.
- Brown Beef: Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large flameproof casserole dish or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Fry the floured ribs in batches until they are well browned on all sides. Remove the browned ribs to a plate and set aside.
- Sauté Vegetables and Speck: Add another tablespoon of olive oil if needed, then add the diced carrot, sliced onions, button mushrooms, and diced speck to the pot. Cook until the vegetables start to soften and the speck renders some fat.
- Add Tomato Paste and Garlic: Stir in the tomato paste and crushed garlic cloves into the vegetable mixture. Cook for about 30 seconds to blend the flavors.
- Deglaze with Beer: Pour in the beer and bring it to a simmer, scraping up any browned bits stuck to the bottom of the pot. These bits add rich flavor to the stew.
- Season and Add Herbs: Stir in the wholegrain mustard, fresh thyme leaves, and chopped rosemary to combine all the flavors.
- Add Stock and Beef: Pour in the beef stock and return the browned beef ribs along with any juices back to the pot. Bring everything to a simmer to prepare for baking.
- Bake: Cover the pot with a lid and bake in the preheated oven for 2 hours or until the beef is tender. Check seasoning and add salt and pepper to taste.
- Final Adjustments: If the beef is not yet tender, continue cooking for an additional 30 minutes. For a thicker sauce consistency, remove the ribs and simmer the sauce on the stove to reduce before serving.
Notes
- Browning the ribs well at the start creates flavorful caramelization and builds a rich base for the stew.
- The weight includes bones, so meat quantity is less than 1.5 kg.
- Speck can be substituted with bacon if preferred.
- Use any beer you enjoy; lager works well for a balanced flavor.
- If beef isn't tender after 2 hours, bake for an extra 30 minutes.
- To thicken the sauce, remove ribs and simmer the sauce on the stovetop before serving.
- Calorie counts are approximate as ingredients and cooking methods may vary.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 650 kcal
- Sugar: 6 g
- Sodium: 550 mg
- Fat: 35 g
- Saturated Fat: 12 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 20 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 20 g
- Fiber: 4 g
- Protein: 55 g
- Cholesterol: 140 mg
