Carbonade á la Flamande
In the winter months when visitors come to the farm this meal is one of the favorites. The recipe blends the dark and velvety Guinness Draught with brown sugar, balancing the bitter taste of the roasted barley with notes of molasses. A little tomato paste deepens its color and adds an undercurrent of tanginess.
Ingredients
¼ c lard or oil
2 lb. grass fed beef chuck, round steak cut into ½” slices or chopped as stewing beef
4 small onions thinly sliced
¼ c flour
1 Tbsp tomato paste
1-quart Guinness draught
1 bouquet garni
3 juniper berries
1 Tbsp brown sugar
5 c rich beef stock
Directions
Preheat oven 350 deg.
Heat lard in a large skillet on med-high heat. Add beef in batches, frying quickly to seal in juices and brown on all sides. Remove and set aside.. Lower heat, add onions and cook for 10 min. or till soft and golden.
Transfer onions to a Dutch oven, stir in flour and cook over low heat for 2 min. Add tomato paste and cook for 1-2 min. Add beer, bouquet garni, juniper barriers and sugar, stir and bring to a boil. Add stock, bring back to a boil, then add beef and simmer for 5 min., skimming off any impurities. Season with salt and pepper, cover and bake for 1hr 45 min.
When beef is tender, transfer to a serving dish. On stovetop, bring liquid to a boil; cook for approx. 10 min. or until thickened. Pour sauce over beef and serve