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Beef Carbonnade Stew

Beef carbonnade stew with Belgian beer-braised beef and caramelized onions for a deep mahogany, slow-braised flavor. Thickened with a quick flour whisk and served spoon-tender over crusty bread slices.
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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 Use well-marbled chuck for tender braised texture.
Onions
  • 3 large onions, thinly sliced
Garlic
  • 4 clove cloves garlic, minced
Dark Belgian ale or stout beer
  • 2 cup dark Belgian ale or stout beer Choose a malty beer for a rich, deep broth.
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 leaf bay leaves
Vegetable oil
  • 3 tbsp vegetable oil
All-purpose flour
  • 2 tbsp all-purpose flour
Crusty bread
  • 1 crusty bread for serving
Salt and pepper
  • 1 salt and pepper to taste

Equipment

  • 1 Dutch oven

Method
 

Sear the beef
  1. Season the beef with salt and pepper, then sear in the vegetable oil in a Dutch oven over high heat until deeply browned, about 6-8 minutes. Transfer the browned beef to a plate.
Caramelize the onions
  1. Cook the onions in the Dutch oven over medium heat for 20-25 minutes until very soft and golden. Stir occasionally so they caramelize evenly.
Build the thickened base
  1. Add the minced garlic and cook for 1 minute, then whisk in the all-purpose flour and cook for 1 minute. The mixture should look slightly toasted.
  2. Pour in the dark Belgian ale or stout beer and deglaze by scraping up all browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Simmer until the liquid looks cohesive, about 2 minutes.
Braise
  1. Add the beef broth, tomato paste, red wine vinegar, brown sugar, Dijon mustard, fresh thyme, bay leaves, and the beef to the Dutch oven. Stir to combine.
  2. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat, cover, and braise for 2 hours until the beef is very tender. Check occasionally to ensure a gentle simmer.
Finish and serve
  1. Remove the bay leaves and thyme, then taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. Serve hot with crusty bread.

Notes

For the richest flavor, brown the beef deeply in batches so the pot stays hot and the fond develops. Refrigerate leftovers in a sealed container for up to 4 days; reheat gently until steaming. Freezing is yes—freeze up to 3 months and thaw overnight in the fridge. For a lower-carb option, reduce the brown sugar to 1/2 tbsp while keeping everything else the same.