Flemish Carbonade

Flemish carbonade, or carbonnade flamande, is a typical Belgian dish, but I can suggest a small Italian variation to make it even closer to Mediterranean tastes.

Ingredients

• 1 kg of beef cheek or stewing meat
• 2 large onions
• 2 cloves of garlic
• 30 g of butter
• 2 tablespoons of flour
• 500 ml of dark beer (for a more Italian variant, you could use a good robust red wine like Barolo)
• 1 tablespoon of red wine vinegar (if you use red wine, you might omit this)
• 2 bay leaves
• Thyme to taste
• Salt and pepper to taste
• A slice of rye bread spread with mustard (for an Italian note, you might substitute with homemade bread and a delicate mustard)

Preparation

1. Cut the meat into pieces of about 3 cm and finely chop the garlic and onions.
2. In a large saucepan, melt the butter and brown the meat on all sides until well browned.
3. Remove the meat and set it aside. In the same saucepan, add the chopped onions and garlic until they are soft and slightly caramelized.
4. Sprinkle the flour over the onions and cook for a minute, stirring constantly.
5. Add the beer (or red wine) and bring to a boil, making sure to scrape the bottom of the saucepan to retrieve all the cooking juices.
6. Add the vinegar, bay leaves, thyme, and season with salt and pepper.
7. Put the meat back in the saucepan and add the slice of bread with the mustard facing the meat.
8. Cover and simmer on low heat for about 2-3 hours or until the meat is very tender.
9. Check occasionally, stirring and adding a bit of water if the sauce reduces too much.

Serve the carbonade warm with steamed potatoes or mashed potatoes.

Curiosity

Flemish carbonade is often accompanied by fried potatoes, in true Belgian style. If you want to maintain a connection with Italian tradition, you can accompany it with soft polenta, which goes very well with the meat stew.