Browned beef. Caramelized onions. Brown Ale. A little bit sweet from the sugar. A little bit sour from the vinegar. A little bit smoky from the bacon. Everything in balance. Delicious. Beer and beef stew is slow food. Weekend food. Food to impress if you take time and care. Brown the feef in batches. Really cook the onions. Like you’re making French onion soup. A good stew is dinner party worthy. And beer and beef stew is good stew.
Beer and beef stew cooks in the oven
You want the onions to melt into the final sauce. Take 30 minutes or more for this step. Once you’ve done that you are on auto-pilot. Cover your pot of stew and stick in a 325F oven and wait. For a couple hours. Maybe check in once in a while to make sure there’s enough liquid. That’s the beauty of stew. Do work up front, then sit back and relax. Invest up front and you’re sure to get something wonderful at the other end.
You can’t rush carbonnade a la flamande
If you take one thing away from this recipe, make it that browning beef takes time. The beef will throw liquid as it cooks. If you’ve ever browned beef for stew you’ve seen it. If you overcrowd the beef, it will cook in the liquid. That’s boiled beef. And that’s a shame. You want brown. Brown tastes good. Look up Maillard reaction. It’s critical to cooking. Leave at least a quarter inch between all the pieces. Work in batches. You will get browned beef. Don’t do this and you will get boiled beef. Serve beef and beer stew – carbonnade a la flamande with boiled potatoes and carrots. Or with good crusty bread and a green salad. Or even with mashed potatoes. Stew with mashed potatoes. Comfort city. Serve it to good friends. Eat. Drink. Enjoy.
