Recipe: Flemish beef and beer stew

The French word for meat – viande – comes from the Latin vivanda (meaning “that which is necessary for life”) and initially referred to any type of solid food.  

This traditional Flemish recipe for beef and beer stew (Carbonnade flamande gratinée au pain d’épice), is particularly hearty and sure to warm you up during the cold winter months.

Serves: 10 people

Active time: 45 minutes

Cooking time: 4 ½ hours

Resting time: 30 minutes

Storage: 3 days

EQUIPMENT

Mandolin

Food mill or potato ricer

INGREDIENTS

Beef and beer stew:

• 1 lb. 2 oz. (500 g) Shallots
• 10 ½ oz. (300 g) sweet onions, preferably Cévennes
• 3 cloves garlic, unpeeled
• Scant 2 lb. (850 g) boneless beef shoulder (macreuse)
• Scant 2 lb. (850 g) boneless beef shank (jarret de boeuf)
• 4 tsp (20 g) salt
• 10 ½ oz. (300 g) smoked slab bacon (lard paysan)
• Scant ½ cup (100 ml) olive oil
• 1 ½ packed tbsp (20 g) brown sugar, preferably vergeoise
• ½ cup (120 ml) aged red wine vinegar
• 3 tbsp (1 oz./30 g) all-purpose flour
• 1 bottle (330 ml) abbey beer of your choice
• 4 cups (1 liter) beef jus
• ⅔ oz. (20 g) spiced bread (pain d’épice)

Potato gnocchi:

• 2 ¼ lb. (1 kg) semi-waxy potatoes, preferably Agria
• Coarse sea salt
• 1 ¾ cups (7 oz./200 g) 00 (pizza) flour
• 1 egg
• Scant ½ cup (100 ml) olive oil

METHOD

PREPARING THE FLEMISH BEEF AND BEER STEW

1. Preheat the oven to 340°F (170°C/Gas Mark 3). 
2. Peel and finely chop the shallots and onions. Crush the unpeeled garlic cloves using the flat of a chef’s knife blade. Trim the fat off the beef shoulder and shank and cut the meat into approximately 1 ¾ -oz. (50-g) pieces. Season with the 4 tsp (20 g) salt. Cut the bacon into 1-oz. (30-g) lardons, ¼ in. (5 mm) in width, and slowly brown in a Dutch oven to render the fat. Remove the bacon, add the olive oil, and increase the heat. Add the beef and brown on all sides, working in batches if necessary. 
3. Remove the meat from the pan and add the shallots, onions, and garlic, then stir in the brown sugar. Cook over low heat until the vegetables are softened and lightly caramelized. Deglaze with the vinegar, then return the meat to the pan and stir in the flour to coat. 
4. Pour in the beer and beef jus, and bring to a simmer. Cover, place in the oven, and cook for 3 hours, until the meat is completely tender. Remove the pan from the oven, uncover, and reduce the cooking juices if necessary to thicken. Increase the oven temperature to 400°F (200°C/Gas Mark 6). 
5. Using the mandolin, cut the spiced bread into paper thin (1/16-in./1-mm) slices. Place on a baking sheet and toast in the oven for 3 minutes, keeping a close eye on them to ensure they do not burn.

PREPARING THE POTATO GNOCCHI

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C/Gas Mark 6). 
2. Wash and dry the potatoes and put them over a bed of coarse sea salt on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake for about 1 ½ hours, or until the potatoes are tender throughout; the exact time will depend on their size. 
3. While the potatoes are still warm, peel them and pass them through the food mill or potato ricer into a bowl. Sprinkle the flour over the potatoes and add the egg, then combine using your hands, taking care not to overmix. 
4. Let the mixture rest for 30 minutes at room temperature. Shape the dough into small balls, about ½ oz. (13 g) each, and roll each one on the tines of a fork to form gnocchi. 
5. Poach the gnocchi in boiling salted water for 1 minute (or until they float), then transfer to a large dish and drizzle with the olive oil.

TO SERVE

Serve the stew topped with toasted spiced bread and gnocchi. Pair with abbey beer, if desired.

Extracted from Meat, Poultry & Game: Recipes and Techniques from the Ferrandi School of Culinary Arts by FERRANDI Paris (Flammarion, 2025). Photos: © Rina Nurra.