Name: Carbonnade
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 195 min
Total time: 215 min
Yield: 6
Ingredients: 1.5 kg beef short ribs; 100 gm (1/3 cup) plain flour; 50 gm unsalted butter, coarsely chopped; 1.1 kg (about 6) onions, cut into thick wedges; 8 garlic cloves, sliced; 500 ml dark Belgian-style ale; 250 ml (1 cup) beef stock; 2 tbsp dark brown sugar; 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar; 2 thyme sprigs; 3 parsley sprigs; 2 tarragon sprigs; 1 fresh bay leaf; 350 gm mixed baby carrots, scrubbed, tops trimmed; To serve: finely chopped chives and chive flowers (if available)

Carbonnade

Carbonnade is a simple to make and hearty Flemish dish - we've used beef ribs roasted with beer rather than wine for a sweet-sour flavour.

Serves 6

Prep

20M

Cook

3H 15M

Total

3H 35M

Carbonnade is a Flemish dish eaten widely in northern France. Made with beer rather than wine, it has a sweet-sour flavour and is both hearty and simple to prepare. Beef ribs aren’t traditional; you can substitute a nice piece of chuck, which is more typical. Don’t skimp on the beer, however – it’s well worth seeking out a traditional abbey ale for this.

Ingredients

1.5 kg beef short ribs

100 gm (1/3 cup) plain flour

50 gm unsalted butter, coarsely chopped

1.1 kg (about 6) onions, cut into thick wedges

8 garlic cloves, sliced

500 ml dark Belgian-style ale

250 ml (1 cup) beef stock

2 tbsp dark brown sugar

2 tbsp apple cider vinegar

2 thyme sprigs

3 parsley sprigs

2 tarragon sprigs

1 fresh bay leaf

350 gm mixed baby carrots, scrubbed, tops trimmed

To serve: finely chopped chives and chive flowers (if available)

Method

Main

1.Season beef to taste and dust with flour. Heat butter in a casserole over medium-high heat until foaming, add beef ribs and brown all over (5-6 minutes), then transfer to a plate. Add onions and garlic to pan, reduce heat to low and sauté, stirring often, until onions are very soft (12-15 minutes).

2.Add half the beer to pan and scrape residue from base with a wooden spoon. Return beef to pan with remaining beer and remaining ingredients except carrots, bring to the boil, then reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 1 hour. Add carrots and continue to cook until beef is tender (about 2 hours). Scatter with chives and chive flowers and serve with potatoes or buttered noodles.