Carbonnade à La Flamande

 I've had this recipe in my hot little hands since 2005. I think that's the longest I've had anything. 

What is Carbonnade à La Flamande? It's a classic Belgian beef stew. According to Food and Wine, "This classic Belgian beef stew is known for its sweet-sour combination of caramelized onions and beer."

It definitely had the sweet and sour thing going on - which threw me off a bit. I didn't expect to taste any brown sugar considering the recipe is only for 2 T. And yet, I could totally taste it. 

Bottom line? Not my favorite. It's good, but not great. If I were in Belgian I'd totally order it to try it by a professional. I won't likely make it again though since I have so many recipes to try. But it's definitely worth the first try.

Carbonnade à La Flamande
Recipe from MyRecipes

Photo from MyRecipes

Serves: 8

3/4 c flour (about 3 1/3 ounces)
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
2 1/2 pounds boneless chuck roast, trimmed and cut into 1 1/2-inch cubes
2 strips bacon, diced (uncooked)
2 c chopped onion (about 2 large onions)
1 T chopped garlic
1 (14-ounce) can less-sodium beef broth
1 c  water
2 T brown sugar
2 T red wine vinegar
2 T tomato paste
2 T Dijon mustard
1 tsp fresh thyme
2 bay leaves
1 (12-ounce) bottle dark beer
2 T chopped fresh parsley

Combine first 5 ingredients in a large zip-top plastic bag. Seal; shake to coat.

Heat a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add bacon to pan; cook 1 minute. Add beef mixture; cook 3 minutes or until browned. Remove beef from pan.

Add onion and garlic to pan; sauté 5 minutes or until tender.

Return beef to pan. Stir in broth, scraping pan to loosen browned bits. Add water and the next 7 ingredients (through beer); bring to boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 30 minutes. Uncover and cook 30 minutes or until beef is tender. Discard bay leaves. Garnish with parsley.