Belgian wrote:zane9 wrote:Belgian and cannondale, you've given me some inspiration in selecting the correct beer for a carbonnade flamade.
I've never used the 'traditional' Flemish Sour Brown Ales (eg. the 'Flamande' beer) but it's supposed to be ideal with its combo of sweet / acid flavors. They do call it the Burgundy of Beers.
For a Flemish Ale, maybe
Baccus Flemish Old Brown, or Petrus Oud Bruin if you squirred those away. Duchesse de Bourgogne as well as Goudenband.
But it's hard to sacrifice tasty Belgian sour ales in a stew! It's just as traditional to use what's cheap & locally available.
I was back at it with the carbonnade flamande yesterday. I found a recipe on a French site for carbonnade flamande traditionelle, and it turned out very similar (with some slight modifications) to the carbonnade flamande that I have had in Belgian restaurants. Here it is:
1 kg Beef (I used a top sirloin roast)
1 large Onion (I used a vidalia, because I love em)
Butter
Salt & Pepper
1 clove Garlic crushed
500 mL Beef Stock
500 mL Belgian Blonde Ale (I used La Chouffe)
10-12 white Mushrooms sliced thick
2-3 fresh Thyme sprigs
1-2 Bay leaves
2 tbsp. A/P Flour
3 tbsp. red wine vinegar
2 tbsp. brown sugar
Several slices of (stale) French Bread
Dijon Mustard
Cut the beef into large pieces, say 2"x2"x2" (this is important IMO).
Saute the beef in butter until browned on all sides, then set aside.
Slice the onion very thin (I used a mandolin for this). Add a little more butter to the pan and then drop that pile of onions in. Saute them very well, perhaps 15 minutes.
On the side, prepare a brown roux using the flour and butter.
When the onions are ~5 min. from completion of saute, add the garlic and mushrooms to the pan.
With ~2 min. left in saute, add the wine vinegar and sugar to the pan.
Once saute is complete, add the beef back to the pan, then add all of the beer and stock and the bouquet garni (thyme and bay), and bring to a boil. Now stir in the roux.
Reduce heat, spread dijon mustard on both sides of enough slices of the french bread to cover the top of the stew. Allow the stew to simmer at low heat for ~3 hours.
When complete, remove and discard the bread slices and bouquet garni. (If it hasn't thickened enough, you may need to increase the heat for a while until you have a gravy thickened to your liking).
Serve with starch and veg of your liking. I ate it with Spaetzle tossed in butter, fleur de sel, fresh cracked tellicherry pepper and parsley, along with steamed veg (romanesco, carrots, peppers, cauliflower, etc.).
Oh yeah, enjoy it with Belgian ale.
Never attribute to malice that which is adequately explained by stupidity.