Carbonade Flamande

Carbonade Flamande
Beef with Beer & Onions

1.5kg Diced Beef Shin
3 Large Brown Onions
3 Cloves of Garlic
2 Bay Leaves
4 Sprigs of Thyme
3 Stubbies of Strong or Dark Ale
Plain Flour
Olive Oil
Salt & Pepper

Baby Chat Potato
Chopped Fresh Parsley
Herb & Garlic Butter

Dust beef in seasoned flour (seasoned flour is just flour with salt & pepper mixed thorough). By coating the beef in flour then frying in oil you are actually making a roux. You will find you need about 1 cup of flour for this quantity of beef. Brown the dusted beef in a fry pan with olive oil. It will take about 1 cup of oil here also. Be careful to make sure there is enough oil to lubricate the pan well and your temperature is not too high that the flour will burn.

Peel and slice onions into a fine julienne. In a heavy bottom, oven proof casserole, sauté off the onions until they begin to caramelise. This will require about 1- 2 Tbs of olive oil and a small knob of butter. Sprinkle the onions with a little salt as they are cooking. This will enrich the flavour of the onions thus adding richness to the final product, without tasting salty. Add the cubes of smoked pork, thyme leaves, bay leaves and thinly sliced garlic then continue cooking gently.

After about 5 minutes add the beer. Carefully scrape any nice caramalisation of the bottom of the casserole. Add the browned beef and return to the boil. Once boiling, cover and place casserole in oven at 175°for 2 ½ hours.

Serve with crusty bread, Dijon mustard and boiled chat potato’s tossed in an herb & garlic butter. Garnish with chopped parsley.