Beef, slowly stewed in brown beer, with the typical sweet-and-sour depth of Liège syrup and a slice of bread with mustard that melts into the sauce. Serve as it should be: with thick Belgian frites and mayonnaise.
Carbonnade flamande
Region: Flanders
Carbonnade flamande
Region: Flanders
Method
01
Brown the meat
Pat the meat dry and season generously with pepper and salt. Heat the butter in a casserole until hazelnut-brown and brown the meat in batches all over until dark brown. Not too much at once, otherwise it boils instead of fries. Transfer to a stewing pot.
02
Onions
Stew the onions in the same pan until golden brown, with a pinch of salt. Scrape up the browned bits and add to the meat.
03
Deglaze
Pour the beer into the stewing pot until the meat is just covered. Add the bay leaves, thyme, cloves, brown sugar and the Liège syrup.
04
The bread
Spread the slice of bread (or peperkoek) generously with mustard and lay it mustard side down on top of the stew. It falls apart during braising and thickens the sauce.
05
Braise
Bring gently to the boil, turn the heat low and leave to simmer for 2½–3 hours with the lid ajar, until the meat falls apart and the sauce is glossy and thickened. Stir now and then.
06
Season
Remove the bay leaves, thyme and cloves. Add the vinegar and taste: too bitter? An extra spoonful of syrup. Too sweet? Another splash of vinegar. The sauce should be dark, round and lightly sweet-and-sour.
07
Serve
Thick frites (see the recipe Frieten (echte Belgische)), mayonnaise and, if you like, a fresh lamb's lettuce or chicory salad.
Tips & notes
Like zuurvlees, stew is even better the day after. Feel free to make it a day in advance. Keeps for 3–4 days in the fridge, and freezes very well (up to 3 months); the flavour often deepens further the next day.
Variations
- Also use the brown beer as the base for a zuurvlees-style variant with extra clove and peperkoek.
- Replace the shoulder with beef cheek for a more luxurious version, allowing a slightly longer stewing time (3–3½ hours).
Contains:
Gluten
Milk
Mustard
Sulphites
| Calories | 853 kcal |
|---|---|
| Protein | 62 g |
| Carbohydrates | 26 g |
| Fat | 56 g |
| Fibre | 2 g |
Estimated values, calculated from standard nutritional values per ingredient.
