Belgium - Carbonnade Flamande

Hi! Welcome to my blog. I am on a mission to cook and sample a dish from every country in the world. To get started, I spun the globe on google maps and randomly picked a country, and my first pick was Belgium. 

The first food that comes to mind when I think of Belgium is Belgian waffles, and while those are delightful, it’s currently the middle of winter and I am in the mood for something a bit more hearty. So imagine my delight when I found out that the Belgians have a popular beef stew dish that is best enjoyed with a side of comforting potatoes!

Carbonnade Flamande is made with chunks of beef, caramelized onions, bacon, and beer. It tastes great fresh, and even better as leftovers after it’s had a little time to stew together - so consider making an extra large pot and enjoy it for a couple of days in a row!

Here is what you will need:

• 2 pounds cubed chuck roast

• 20-ish ounces of beer - any medium or dark beer should do fine! 

• 4 slices of chopped bacon 

• 3 sliced (or diced) medium onions

• Garlic (as much as you like, I use 3-4 cloves) 

• 2 tablespoons olive oil

• 3 tablespoons flour

• 1 1/2 cups beef broth

• 2 bay leaves

• 4 sprigs of thyme

• 1 tablespoon brown sugar

• 1 tablespoon whole-grain mustard 

• 1 Cup chopped fresh parsley 

• Salt and pepper to taste

How to Prepare

1. Marinate beef cubes in beer, garlic, salt, pepper, and bay leaves for a few hours 

2. Remove the beef from the bowl using a slotted spoon, set aside the marinade for later

3. Brown the beef in a large pot using olive oil. Set beef to the side on a plate when done

4. In the same pot, fry the chopped up bacon until crispy. When done, add the bacon to the plate of beef

5. Fry the onions in the pot using the bacon grease until translucent

6. Add flour to the onions, continuously stirring them until they are coated

7. Pour in beef broth and stir well

8. Add the marinade, beef cubes, bacon, and thyme

9. Cook on low heat for about 1.5-2 hours, stirring periodically

10. Add brown sugar, mustard, parsley, and salt and pepper to taste. Simmer on low for an additional half hour

11. Serve with a side of french fries or mashed potatoes and enjoy!