Flemish Beef and Onion Carbonnade
- Savory
- Comforting
- Stovetop
- Oven
Chuck roast braised low with sweet onions, brown beer and a mustard-brown sugar glaze until it falls apart. A hearty, comforting stew with a deep sweet-savory sauce.
- Total
- 3 h 15
- Prep 20 · Cook 175
- Serves
- 4
- Difficulty
- Medium
You'll practice: Searing · Braising
Instructions
-
Heat the oven to 160°C. Cut the beef chuck into 4 cm chunks and pat them dry. Peel the onions and slice them 5 mm thick.
~15 min
Patting the beef dry helps it sear rather than steam, so it browns deeply and builds flavor.
-
Heat 1 tbsp vegetable oil in the pot over high heat. Brown half the beef chuck in a single layer, turning, until deeply browned on all sides, about 5 minutes, then set aside on a plate. Repeat with the remaining 1 tbsp vegetable oil and beef chuck.
~5 min
Searing in a single layer over high heat triggers Maillard browning, creating the dark crust that deepens the sauce.
Brown the beef in two batches in a single layer: crowding the pot steams the meat instead of building the dark crust that gives the sauce its depth.
Searing Get the pot hot and leave space between pieces; a single uncrowded layer gives a deep brown crust, while crowding steams the meat pale.
-
Lower the heat to medium. Add the onions and 0.5 tsp salt and cook, stirring up the browned bits, until soft and golden, 10 to 12 minutes.
~12 min
The salt draws moisture from the onions so they soften and caramelize slowly, while stirring lifts the browned bits into the base.
-
Stir in the mustard and brown sugar and cook for 30 seconds. Pour in the brown beer, scraping the pot, and add the bay leaf, the remaining 1 tsp salt and the black pepper.
~3 min
Pouring in the beer and scraping dissolves the fond, the browned bits that give the braise its savory depth.
-
Return the beef chuck and any juices to the pot. Cover and braise in the oven until the meat is fork-tender, 2 to 2.5 hours.
~150 min
A low, covered braise gently breaks down the beef's connective tissue into gelatin, making it tender and silky.
Braising Keep the liquid at a gentle simmer with the lid on; steady low heat breaks down connective tissue, while a hard boil toughens the meat.
-
Lift out the beef chuck and bay leaf. Simmer the sauce on the stovetop over medium-high heat until it coats a spoon, 8 to 10 minutes, then return the beef and warm through.
~10 min
Simmering uncovered evaporates water and concentrates the sauce so it thickens and clings to the meat.
