Belgian Beef Stew
Author: Nicole
Ingredients
  • 2-1/2 pounds large onions
  • 3 pounds boneless beef chuck
  • ½ cup all-purpose flour or gluten-free flour
  • 4 thick bacon slices
  • 4 tablespoons canola or olive oil
  • ½ cup water
  • 12 ounces Trappist ale (or other full bodied Belgian ale)
  • 1 cup beef broth
  • 1 tablespoon packed brown sugar
  • 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
  • 1 bay leaf
  • ¼ teaspoon dried thyme, crumbled
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 325°F.
  2. Thinly slice onions – I like to use my food processor with the slicing disk.
  3. Cut beef into 1-1/2-inch cubes and pat dry.
  4. Place flour in a shallow bowl and season with salt and pepper.
  5. Chop bacon into small pieces.
  6. In a large Dutch oven (5 to 7 quarts) cook bacon over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until golden.
  7. While bacon is cooking, dredge beef in seasoned flour, shaking off excess.
  8. Transfer bacon with a slotted spoon to a large plate.
  9. Add 1 tablespoon oil to fat remaining in Dutch oven (if needed) and heat over medium heat until hot but not smoking.
  10. Without crowding, brown beef in batches on all sides, adding 1 to 2 tablespoons more oil as needed and transferring beef as browned to the plate with the bacon.
  11. Add 1 tablespoon oil to skillet and cook onions over moderate heat, stirring occasionally and adding water a few tablespoons at time as onions begin to stick, until golden brown and soft, about 15 to 20 minutes (don't rush this step).
  12. Add ale and broth and bring to a boil, scraping up brown bits.
  13. Stir in brown sugar, vinegar, bay leaf, thyme, and salt and pepper to taste.
  14. Add beef and bacon mixture back into the Dutch oven.
  15. Bring beef mixture to a boil and cover pot.
  16. Transfer pot to oven and braise beef until very tender, about 2-1/2 hours.
  17. Discard bay leaf before serving.
Notes
* To make it gluten-free, I recommend using Cup4Cup gluten-free flour in place of all-purpose flour and a gluten-free beer. If you're just avoiding wheat than many beers are already wheat-free so you may be okay with some more traditional Belgian beers.
* Stew may be made 3 days ahead. Cool stew, uncovered, before chilling, covered.
* Reheat on top of the stove (about 20 minutes) or in the oven (covered) at 325°F for about 30 minutes.
* Stew can be frozen. Cool stew, uncovered, before freezing, covered.
* Recipe can be doubled. Depending on the size pots/pans you have you may need to use two on top of the stove and oven.
Recipe by Riegl Palate at https://www.rieglpalate.com/belgian-beef-stew/