Author Notes
When I first started making Carbonnade years ago, it was all about the beef. Oh, I always added a few mushrooms to stretch out the stew, but still, it was the beef. As the years passed I found myself adding more and more mushrooms and less meat until all of a sudden I was making a beefy mushroom stew. The creminis have such a beefy flavor and absorb so much more in the short time they cook. —inpatskitchen
Ingredients
-
2 pounds
beef chuck roast, cut into 1 1/2 inch cubes
-
2 tablespoons
olive oil
-
salt and pepper
-
2
slices bacon, diced
-
2
large onions, sliced
-
4
cloves garlic, sliced
-
1
bay leaf
-
1
12 ounce can or bottle of beer ( I use a lager)
-
enough chicken broth to cover meat as it cooks
-
2 pounds
cremini mushrooms, halved if large
-
instant flour (Wondra) for thickening
-
1/2 cup
chopped parsley
-
sliced green onions for garnish
Directions
-
Season the meat with a little salt and pepper and brown well in the olive oil in a dutch oven. You probably want to do this in a couple of batches so the meat browns well and doesn't steam. Remove the meat to a plate.
-
Add the diced bacon to the pot and saute until it starts to render its fat. Add the onions and garlic and saute until the onions start to brown, scraping up the browned bits on the bottom of the pot.
-
Add the meat and any accumulated juices to the pot.
-
Add the beer, bay leaf and enough chicken broth to cover the meat.
-
Bring to a boil and simmer for about 2 hours or until the meat is fork tender, adding more broth if needed.
-
After the 2 hours, add the parsley and mushrooms and simmer about 15 minutes more.
-
Stir in enough of the instant flour to thicken to your desired consistency.
-
Season to taste with salt and pepper.
-
Serve over buttered noodles or mashed potatoes garnished with a little of the sliced green onion.
I think I get my love for food and cooking from my mom, who was an amazing cook. She would start baking and freezing a month before Christmas in order to host our huge open house on Christmas afternoon. I watched and I learned...to this day I try not to procrastinate when it comes to entertaining.
My cooking style is pretty much all over the place, although I'm definitely partial to Greek and Italian cuisine. Oh yes, throw a little Cajun in there too!
See what other Food52ers are saying.