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Beef Carbonnade Stew

Beef carbonnade stew with Belgian beer-braised beef and caramelized onions, simmered until deeply tender. Thick, malty broth clings to chuck in a rustic, spoonable finish—perfect with crusty bread.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 2 hours 30 minutes
Total Time 2 hours 50 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: Belgian
Calories: 520
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Beef chuck
  • 2.5 lb beef chuck cut into 2-inch cubes
Onions
  • 3 onions thinly sliced
Garlic
  • 4 clove garlic minced
Belgian ale or stout beer
  • 2 cup dark Belgian ale or stout beer
Beef broth
  • 2 cup beef broth
Tomato paste
  • 2 tbsp tomato paste
Red wine vinegar
  • 2 tbsp red wine vinegar
Brown sugar
  • 1 tbsp brown sugar
Dijon mustard
  • 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
Fresh thyme
  • 2 sprig fresh thyme
Bay leaves
  • 2 bay leaf bay leaves
Vegetable oil
  • 3 tbsp vegetable oil
All-purpose flour
  • 2 tbsp all-purpose flour
Crusty bread for serving
  • 1 crusty bread for serving
Salt
  • 0.5 tsp salt to taste
Black pepper
  • 0.25 tsp black pepper to taste

Equipment

  • 1 Dutch oven

Method
 

Sear the beef
  1. Season beef chuck cubes with salt and pepper. Heat vegetable oil in a Dutch oven over high heat and sear the beef until deeply browned, about 6-8 minutes total, turning as needed for even color.
  2. Remove the browned beef to a plate. Leave any browned bits in the Dutch oven for flavor as you move to the onions.
Caramelize onions and build the base
  1. Cook the thinly sliced onions in the Dutch oven over medium heat, stirring, until very soft and golden, 20-25 minutes. Keep the heat at medium so the onions caramelize without burning.
  2. Add minced garlic and cook for 1 minute. Stir constantly until fragrant and lightly softened.
  3. Whisk in all-purpose flour and cook for 1 minute. This step should look slightly paste-like and smell toasty.
  4. Pour in the dark Belgian ale or stout beer and deglaze, scraping up all browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Let the liquid bubble for 1-2 minutes to start thickening.
Braise until tender
  1. Add beef broth, tomato paste, red wine vinegar, brown sugar, Dijon mustard, fresh thyme, bay leaves, and the beef back to the Dutch oven. Stir to combine so the beef is mostly submerged.
  2. Bring the stew to a boil, then reduce heat to maintain a gentle simmer. Cover and braise for 2 hours, stirring once or twice, until the beef is very tender and the sauce is thick.
Finish and serve
  1. Remove bay leaves and thyme from the stew. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and black pepper if needed.
  2. Serve the beef carbonnade hot with crusty bread for dipping. Spoon the thick, mahogany broth over the beef for maximum bread-friendly sauce.

Notes

Pro tip: for the deepest flavor, don’t crowd the beef—sear in batches if needed—then scrape the fond thoroughly when you deglaze with the Belgian ale. Store leftovers in the fridge up to 4 days in a covered container; reheat gently until steaming. Freezing is yes—freeze up to 3 months and thaw overnight in the fridge. For a lighter swap, use low-sodium beef broth and trim visible fat from the chuck before searing.