Flemish Carbonnade — Beef Braised with Dark Beer and Gingerbread
An emblematic dish from northern France and Belgium, where melt-in-the-mouth beef meets the sweetness of dark abbey beer and the enchanting aroma of mustard-spread gingerbread. Slow-cooked for 3 hours, this generous stew develops a velvety, deeply flavorful sauce.
🛒 Ingredients
6 servings
- 1.2kg braising beef (chuck, shin or beef cheek), cut into large 5cm cubes
- 250g smoked lardons
- 3 medium onions, sliced into half-rings
- 750ml dark abbey beer (Leffe Brune, Chimay or similar)
- 6 slices gingerbread
- 2 tbsp Dijon mustard
- 2 tbsp brown sugar (or dark muscovado)
- 1 bouquet garni (2 thyme sprigs, 2 bay leaves, parsley stalks)
- 30g butter
- 1 tbsp neutral oil
- Fine salt and ground black pepper
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Directions
- 1
Preheat oven to 155°C (fan). Take the beef out of the fridge 30 minutes before cooking and pat completely dry with paper towels — dry meat browns much better.
- 2
In a large cast-iron casserole, heat the butter and oil over medium-high heat. Cook the lardons until lightly golden, then add the onions. Sweat for 8-10 minutes until translucent and lightly caramelised. Remove and set aside.
- 3
In the same hot casserole, sear the beef pieces in batches without overcrowding. Brown on all sides over high heat, about 3-4 minutes per side. Season as you go. Set browned meat aside with the onions.
- 4
Deglaze the casserole with a splash of dark beer, scraping up all the caramelised bits from the bottom — this is where all the flavor lives.
- 5
Return the beef, onions and lardons to the casserole. Sprinkle with brown sugar and stir gently. Add the bouquet garni and pour in the remaining beer. The liquid should come two-thirds up the meat.
- 6
Spread each slice of gingerbread generously with Dijon mustard and lay them mustard-side down on top of the stew, overlapping slightly to cover the surface. They will dissolve and thicken the sauce as they cook.
- 7
Cover tightly and braise in the oven at 155°C for 3 hours. Check halfway without stirring much — the gingerbread should be gradually dissolving into the sauce. If the sauce reduces too much, add a small glass of beer.
- 8
Remove the bouquet garni. The beef should be perfectly tender and pull apart with a fork. If the sauce is too thin, leave the casserole uncovered over low heat for 10 minutes to reduce. Adjust seasoning.
- 9
Serve piping hot in deep bowls with crispy fries, steamed potatoes or a buttery mashed potato. Sprinkle with fresh chopped parsley.
💡 Chef's Tip
The secret to a great carbonnade is the quality of the beer: choose a well-malted dark abbey beer rather than a bitter one, which would make the sauce too acidic. Like all braised dishes, carbonnade is even better reheated the next day — make it ahead for an effortless weeknight dinner.
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Same category — Main Dishes
Same difficulty — Medium
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