Beef Carbonnade

Happy Valentine's Day!

Ok, friends, this is a great beef recipe. At my house, we seem to eat a lot more beef in the winter then we do in the summer, probably because there is so many different ways to prepare all different cuts of beef and the best ones involve slow cooking with fat. No one wants to cook inside during the summer or with added fat so that's why winter cooking is so great :)

I found this recipe not too long ago and the first time I made it, my whole family LOVED it. At first, the name of the recipe made very skeptical because "Carbonnade" literally means beef stew made with beer and onions. That stopped me right there because 1) I hate cooking with beer and 2) it meant LOTS of onions. BUT, the author of the blog I found the recipe at, really made this recipe sound good and worth my time to try.

I would like to emphasize that you should NOT be scared about the large amount of onion in this dish. The onions cook for a long time and basically disappear, leaving only their flavor behind.....and it's a gooooood flavor. Trust me!

Ok, if you dare, let's make this!

Beef Carbonnade

(adapted from Amanda's Cookin')

2 slices of thick bacon, finely diced (use 3 slices of regular bacon)

2 lbs boneless chuck stew meat, cut into 1 inch pieces, if needed

1/2 tsp kosher salt

1/2 tsp black pepper

2-3 fresh garlic cloves, minced

5 cups diced onion (Yes, 5 cups)

3 T all-purpose flour

1 cup low sodium beef broth

2 tsp white wine vinegar

1/2 tsp sugar

1/2 tsp dried thyme

1 bay leaf

1 (12 oz) can of light beer

1 pkg whole wheat egg noodles, cooked. Add a little salt and butter to taste, if desired.

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Cook bacon in large Dutch oven over medium heat until crisp. Remove bacon with a slotted spoon to a small bowl, reserving drippings in pan. Set bacon aside.
Cook beef, seasoned with salt and pepper, in drippings over medium heat for 3-5 minutes until beef is brown on all sides. Add garlic and cook for an additional 3o seconds. Remove beef with a slotted spoon to a bowl (the beef will not be cooked through); set aside.

Add onion to pot; cover and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Stir in flour and cook for 2 minutes. Add beef broth and next 5 ingredients to pot and bring to a boil. Return bacon and beef to pot.

Return to a boil, cover and bake in oven at 325 degrees for 2 hours or until beef is tender. Discard bay leaf. Serve over hot cooked and buttered noodles. Serves 6.

I also like to serve this with a fresh green salad and homemade bread. In the pictures, I served it with Italian bread; recipe coming soon, hopefully :)