Flemish Carbonade

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PRESENTATION

Warm, inviting meals always bring everyone to the table—Flemish Carbonade stands out as a comforting classic, loaded with deep flavor and tradition. This Belgian Beef Stew dazzles with its beautiful, rich color and tender beef that melts right into the sweet and sour gravy. With every serving, you get those well-loved layers of savory Belgian Ale flavor and the subtle touch of Abbey Beer that so many families crave. Kids usually notice how good it smells, while adults appreciate the hearty taste and balanced tang. Gatherings, holidays, even cozy weekends—this carbonnade a la flamande feels just right for making everyday dinners or special events feel a little more DELICIOUS. Folks often say this stew delivers a true taste of Belgian home cooking, and since the gravy is great for dipping, it looks amazing on a big family table (the sauce is a BIG hit).

Home cooks find this Belgian Beef Stew really fits family life—big flavors, classic appeal, and reliable results every time. Great for regular dinners, but also easy to bring out for special occasions when you want something hearty but not fussy. Because this beer stew is so flexible, you can serve it with plenty of mashed potatoes or thick slices of bread—soaking up all that nice, savory gravy (don’t forget this part...everyone will want seconds). Kids love dipping, adults go for the deep flavor, and people often try different Belgian Ales or a darker Abbey Beer to give it their own twist (works GREAT with rustic bread). Any day feels more special with this classic good stew—the way it fills the house with a rich, inviting aroma wins over family members again and again. Whenever you’re looking for savory, satisfying Belgian food that really brings people together—Flemish Carbonade never disappoints.

INGREDIENTS
Pork 1.75 lbs (800 g) - pork pulp
White onions 1.1 lbs (500 g)
Dark beer 11.2 oz (330 ml) - Belgian
Smoked pancetta 3.5 oz (100 g)
Butter 1 ½ tbsp (20 g)
Brown sugar 1 spoonful
Type 00 flour ¼ cup (30 g)
Red wine vinegar 2 spoonfuls
Thyme 3 sprigs
Bay leaves 4 leaves
White bread loaf 2 slices
Mustard 2 spoonfuls - strong
Extra virgin olive oil to taste
Fine salt to taste
Black pepper to taste
Preparation

How to prepare Flemish Carbonade

Peel and finely chop the onions 1; cut the beef into pieces about 1-1.5 inches on each side 2. In a saucepan, melt the butter and add the bacon, allowing it to brown 3; once golden, remove it from the pan and set it aside 4.

In the fat released by the bacon, add the onions 5 and let them brown on low heat for about 15 minutes, covering the pan with a lid 6; stir the onions occasionally until they are completely wilted, then remove the lid and add the brown sugar 7 and mix it perfectly with the onions to caramelize 8.

Transfer the onions to a sieve (or strainer) and, pressing them with a spoon, let the excess fat drain 9: set aside both the onions and the fat.

Preheat the oven to 320°F. Mix the flour with ground pepper and salt 10 and roll the meat in it 11 until completely coated; brown the meat in a little oil 12 in batches, adding the drained fat from the onions little by little.

As you brown the meat, set it aside, and when finished, pour vinegar 13 and then beer 14 into the now-empty pan to deglaze the cooking base.
Bring to a boil and scrape the pan well 15 to obtain a brown liquid,

to which you will add thyme leaves and bay leaves 16.
Take a rather deep baking dish (or ovenproof pan) and arrange a layer of onions 17, a layer of meat 18,

some bacon 19 and then repeat the layers until you have used all the ingredients.
Pour the liquid from the pan over the meat 20, then take the two slices of sandwich bread (or loaf), remove the outer crust 21

and spread them with strong mustard 22, then place them close together with the spread side on the meat 23.
Cover the baking dish with a double layer of aluminum foil 24 sealing the edges well, then bake in the preheated oven for about 2 hours.

Advice

You can also prepare the Flemish Carbonade with light Belgian beer and add chopped parsley at the end of preparation.

If you prefer, you can use golden onions instead of white ones, a loaf instead of sandwich bread, speck instead of bacon, and wild boar meat instead of beef.

For the translation of some texts, artificial intelligence tools may have been used.