Carbonnade


Carbonnade
Carbonnade is a dish that comes from Belgium and the north of France. Large pieces of beef are slowly simmered in beer with carrots and onions. Here's a personal version.
208 K 4.7/5 (35 reviews)
Grade this recipe:
Keywords:
Last modified on: November 13th 2011
For 12 people, you will need:

Change to the quantities for:
Times for this recipe
Preparation: 35 min.
Cooking: 2 hours 15 min.
All in all: 2 hours 45 min.
When should you start or finish this recipe?
If you start now, at , you will finish around : ?.Change start time
To finish around 7pm, you'll need to have started before: .Change end time

Step by step recipe


Stage 1 - 10 min.
Carbonnade
Cut 2 kgs beef into large cubes.

Stage 2 - 5 min.
Carbonnade
Prepare and chop 4 onions.

Stage 3 - 10 min.
Carbonnade
Prepare and chop 4 carrots.

Stage 4 - 10 min.
Carbonnade
Pour 10 tablespoons olive oil into a large heavy-based pan on high heat.

When hot, add the pieces of meat and fry until browned on each side (do not salt, as this will bring out the juices, which will stop them browning).

When browned, remove the meat from the pan and transfer to a plate to wait.

Stage 5 - 2 min.
Carbonnade
Use the same pan, which should now contain just a little fat, and fry the chopped onions with salt and pepper for 1 or 2 minutes, stirring from time to time.

Stage 6 - 3 min.
Carbonnade
Return the cubed meat to the pan and sprinkle with 4 tablespoons flour.

Stage 7 - 1 min.
Carbonnade
Add the diced carrots.

Stage 8 - 3 min.
Carbonnade
Add 2 litres beer, then salt and pepper.

Stage 9 - 2 hours
Carbonnade
Turn the heat down to minimum and leave to simmer for about 2 hours...

Stage 10
Carbonnade
...until the beer has reduced to make a thick and tasty sauce. At the same time the meat will have become very well cooked tender.
Remarks
For the beer, I advise you to use a dark beer which will give stronger flavour.

In the so-called "Flemish" carbonnade, a little brown sugar or a slice of gingerbread spread with mustard is added to the dish. But, I don't feel that either is necessary.

For more flavour, you can add a beef stock cube.

Carbonnade is one of those dishes, like boeuf bourguignon for example, which is even better when it is reheated.
And to drink?
The same beer as you add to the dish - a Belgian beer, of course!

I prefer "Mort-Subite" Geuze ("sudden death"!), but you can use a dark beer like Chimay, or a British-style mild or strong ale.
Keeping: Several days in the fridge in a sealed container.
Source: Home made.
Nutritional information
Proteins (gr)Carbohydrates (gr)Fats (gr)Energy value (in k-calories)Energy value (in k-joules)
Whole recipe380 RDI=150 %390 RDI=40 %550 RDI=80 %8,050 RDI=400 %33,690 RDI: 400 %
Per 100 g6 RDI=3 %7 RDI=1 %10 RDI=2 %150 RDI=7 %620 RDI: 7 %
Per person30 RDI=10 %30 RDI=3 %50 RDI=7 %670 RDI=30 %2,810 RDI: 30 %
The % figures are calculated in relation to the Recommended Dietary Intake , or RDI of 2,000 k-calories (or 8,400 k-joules) per day for a woman Change to a man
Possible allergens in this recipe: Gluten
How much will it cost?
  • For 12 people : 24.05 €
  • Per person : 2.05 €

Change currency:

Note: Be careful, these prices are only an estimate, you can consult the table of prices by ingredients used for this estimate.
This recipe uses (among others)
Other recipes you may also like
How to cook red meat properly
How to cook red meat properly
Cooking red meat well is not as simple as it might seem. Even if you start with high quality meat, with poor cooking it can become dry and tough. Here's a way that will guarantee you a perfect result.
October 13th 2010468 K2.7 1 hour 25 min.
Polenta
Polenta
Polenta is made from maize meal and can be prepared in a number of ways. In this recipe, it is cooked in milk, then moulded and set before being fried.
May 24th 2022205 K5 1 hour 30 min.
Fruit crémeux
Fruit crémeux
This kind of "crémeux" (it means "creamy", but contains no actual cream) is a basic recipe in the repertoire of French pastry chefs. It is smoother but less frothy than a mousse and uses gelatin to set it as it cools. Often used as a tart filling or in other desserts, crémeux is usually poured to...
September 12th 2020175 K2.5 40 min.
How to freeze plums
How to freeze plums
When fruit is in season, there's sometimes a glut - far more than we can use at once. Freezing is a good solution, but plums and other stone fruit should not be frozen whole; the fruit will be unappetizing when thawed. Here's a simple method for successful freezing.
September 4th 2019115 K3.7 12 hours 40 min.
Green bean purée
Green bean purée
Green (or French) beans are usually served whole, for instance as an accompanying vegetable or in a salad, but they make a good purée, too. This is tasty on its own, but also goes very well with meats, and children usually prefer it to "normal" beans.
August 11th 202378 K 25 min.
News list of cooking-ez.com

Sign up to receive the latest recipes (next batch due to be sent on 2024-12-08)

*Your e-mail Your first name or nickname
I am not a leaving thing
Note: We'll never share your e-mail address with anyone else.
Post a comment or question
Posted by:
I am not a leaving thing
The 1 comment already posted on this recipe
  • I have stumbled upon this dish in many cookbooks, JH but I never seen an actual picture! It looks delicious!!! Thank you for sharing...
    Posted by Louise november 14th 2011 at 23:20 n° 1
Follow this recipe
If you are interested in this recipe, you can "follow" it, by entering your email address here. You will then receive a notification immediately each time the recipe is modified or a new comment is added. Please note that you will need to confirm this following.
I am not a leaving thing
Note: We'll never share your e-mail address with anyone else.
Alternatively: you can subscribe to the mailing list of cooling-ez.com , you will receive a e-mail for each new recipe published on the site.

Back to top of page