The recipe for the famous Flemish carbonade was requested by a Cella customer this week. As casserole season is back, we had to honor this classic from northern France and Belgium. Yes, but here, it's vintage: we take inspiration from the old ones and we don't skimp on the lard and the taste!

Carbonade or carbonnade?

But then... what is a carbonade? Carbonade is a dish composed of pieces of braised meat cooked in beer over very low heat. And you can use the word with an “n” or two.

The ch'ti and Belgian cousin of our stews

The popular dish, also called stoofvlees or rundstoofvlees in Dutch, would have originated from leftover meat that was browned in fat on charcoal and then cooked slowly on the same embers, hence the name carbonade. This cooking technique and its principle are obviously not limited to this geographical area and the recipe is similar to other stews and stews .

As always, the simpler the dishes, the more carefully the products must be selected. Here we recommend the Vosges beef chuck , the quality of which is exceptional. To cook, allow around 30 minutes of preparation and 2h20 to 2h40 of cooking. An ideal dish for a Sunday table or an evening with friends.

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Ingredients

For 6 persons

• 4 yellow onions
• 1000g of chuck
• 15cl of beef broth
• 50g of lard
• 1 bouquet garni (bay leaf, thyme, rosemary, etc.)
• 75cl of blond or amber beer
• 30g Lehmann churned butter
• 6 juniper berries
• 30g flour
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• Salt
• Mill pepper

Preparation

1. Start by peeling the onions and cutting them into thin slices.
2. Prepare a bouquet garni in gauze or tied to string (thyme, bay leaf, etc.).
3. Slice the meat into thin slices.
4. In a casserole dish, over high heat, melt lard or, failing that, butter (you will be forgiven but don't say anything). Brown the meat. Reserve. Then brown the onions. Drain the onions and set aside. Put the casserole dish off the heat.
5. In the same casserole dish, place a layer of meat then a layer of onion which you season and so on until the ingredients are used up.
6. Scatter your pretty juniper berries. Place the bouquet garni.
7. In a thick-bottomed saucepan, prepare a brown roux with 30g flour and 30g butter. Melt the butter then add the flour while stirring with a wooden spoon. Mix for 5 to 7 minutes until you obtain a red paste. Then slowly pour in the beer and the beef broth which you gently incorporate to avoid lumps. Once the mixture has set, add the brown sugar and adjust the seasoning of the sauce to your taste.
8. Pour the sauce into the casserole dish and cook, covered, over very low heat for 2h20 to 2h40.
9. Serve at the table in the casserole dish.

What accompaniment for Flemish carbonnade?

Flemish carbonade goes well with fries! But you can of course opt for other potato recipes. A potato press, small dauphine potatoes or rösti, for example. If you want to cook light, green beans or broccoli cooked in the English style will be excellent.

Recipe proposed at the request of Antoine L.

Do you want to improve a recipe? Would you like our advice for preparing a dish? Contact us directly by email or telephone. Our customer team will be happy to answer you.