Belgian Beef and Beer Stew (Carbonnades Flamandes)

I knew Aubrey would love this meal because the beef is supposed to be really tender... and it was! I'm sure this would be easy to make in the crockpot, but unfortunately I know nothing when it comes to crockpots. So instead, I sit and wait 2-plus hours for it to cook in the oven. That's okay, though. I can find plenty of things to do while it's cooking. The smell coming from our kitchen was indescribable. Every time Aubrey would come in from being outside, he would say how good it smelled in the kitchen. When we finally got to eat, the meat was so tender, it melted in our mouths. I sprinkled some extra marjoram on the noodles to tie the flavors together.


Ingredients:
3 pounds boneless beef chuck or round steak, cut into 1 inch cubes
1/2 cup flour
1 1/2 teaspoons black pepper
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon ground sage
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 cup olive or vegetable oil, plus more as needed
4 medium onions, thinly sliced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup light brown sugar
2 Tablespoons cornstarch
1/2 cup beef stock
12 ounces beer, amber or dark
2 bay leaves
a few sprigs of fresh marjoram (optional)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 325-degrees.

In a zip top bag, combine flour, salt, pepper, sage and thyme. Add the beef cubes and shake to coat.

Heat 3 Tablespoons of oil in a large oven-safe Dutch oven over medium heat and brown the beef on all sides. You will probably need to work in batches adding a few more drops of oil for each batch. Remove the browned beef pieces to a plate.

When the beef is browned, pour in the remaining oil and add onions to the pot over medium heat. Saute the onions until soft and translucent, stirring to scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Add the brown sugar and stir to coat. When the onions are nicely browned and soft, stir in the garlic and the browned beef cubes with any juices that have accumulated on the plate.

In a small bowl or measuring cup, whisk together the beef stock and cornstarch until smooth. Pour over the beef and onion mixture then add the beer, stirring to combine completely. Add the bay leaves and marjoram, if using. Cover the pot and transfer to the oven for 2 to 2 1/2 hours until the meat is tender. Remove the bay leaves and marjoram stems. Season with salt to taste.

Serve the Carbonnades Flamandes with buttered noodles tossed with chopped herbs.

Can be made up to two days ahead and kept covered in the refrigerator. Reheat in a low oven before serving.

Serves 6

Source: The Runaway Spoon