Carbonnade: Beef and Beer Stew

Source: Simply Recipes

Yield: 6 servings

Ingredients

  • Chuck roast or top blade steaks, 1 inch thick, trimmed of gristle and fat and cut into 1 inch pieces: 3 1/2 Pounds
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper: 2 Pinches
  • Olive oil: 3 Tablespoons
  • Medium yellow onions sliced about 1/4-inch thick: 3 Each
  • Tomato paste: 1 Tablespoons
  • Medium garlic cloves, minced: 2 Each
  • All-purpose flour: 3 Tablespoons
  • Chicken or beef broth: 1 1/2 Cups
  • Dark ale or stout beer: 12 Ounces
  • Sprigs fresh thyme, tied with kitchen twine: 4 Each
  • Bay leaves: 2 Each
  • Cider vinegar: 1 Tablespoons

    • =Instructions=

Adjust oven rack to lower middle position; preheat oven to 300ºF. Pat beef dry with paper towels, then season well with salt and pepper. On the stove top, heat 2 teaspoons of olive oil in a large heavy bottomed dutch oven over medium-high heat until hot, almost smoking. Add a third of the beef to the pot, not crowding the pan. Brown the meat, without stirring, about 3 minutes, then turn the pieces and brown on another side (again, do not stir, give the meat an opportunity to brown well). Transfer browned beef to a separate bowl. Repeat with second third of the beef and an additional 2 teaspoons of oil. Repeat again with 2 more teaspoons of oil and the remaining beef. Remove beef from the dutch oven. Add a half a cup of the broth to the pan and scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Pour this liquid into the bowl with the browned beef.
Add 1 tablespoon oil to dutch oven; reduce heat to medium. Add the onions and 1/2 teaspoon of salt; cook until onions are lightly browned, about 10 minutes. Stir in tomato paste and garlic; cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add flour and stir until onions are evenly coated and flour is lightly browned, about 2 minutes. Stir in broth, scraping pan bottom to loosen browned bits; stir in beer, thyme, bay, vinegar, browned beef with any of the accumulated juices, and salt and pepper to taste. Increase heat to medium-high and bring to a full simmer, stirring occasionally; cover partially, then place pot in oven. Cook until fork tender, about 2 hours.
Discard thyme and bay leaf. Adjust seasonings with salt and pepper to taste and serve. Can serve plain or over egg noodles, rice, or potatoes.