Beer-Braised Beef and Onions

By Melissa Clark

Published January 30, 2018

  • Andrew Scrivani for The New York Times
Media 1 of 1
Total Time
3½ hours, plus marinating
Rating
4(727)
Comments
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This hearty, warming beef and onion stew is flavored with Belgian beer, bay leaves and sweet paprika. A variation on a traditional Flemish carbonnade, it’s rich and homey but still lively, with a ruddy color from the paprika. The very large quantity of onions adds sweetness, and also helps make the sauce velvety soft. Serve it over potatoes, noodles or polenta.

Featured in: Beef and Onions, Made Better With Beer

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Ingredients

Yield:8 to 12 servings

  • 1 tablespoon kosher salt, more as needed

  • 1 teaspoon black pepper, more for garnish

  • 6 bay leaves

  • 2 teaspoons sweet paprika, more for garnish

  • 4 pounds boneless beef stew meat, cut into 1 ½-inch chunks

  • 1 tablespoon unsalted butter

  • 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, more as needed

  • 4 Spanish or very large yellow onions, thinly sliced

  • 6 sprigs fresh thyme

  • 4 sprigs fresh parsley, plus chopped parsley, for garnish

  • 1 tablespoon tomato paste

  • 1 teaspoon ground coriander

  • ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon

  • 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

  • 2 cups beef or chicken stock, preferably homemade

  • 1 cup beer, preferably Belgian-style or brown ale

  • Flaky sea salt, for garnish

  • Dijon-style mustard, preferably extra-hot, for serving

Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (8 to 12 servings)

11 grams carbs; 119 milligrams cholesterol; 324 calories; 6 grams monosaturated fat; 1 gram polyunsaturated fat; 5 grams saturated fat; 12 grams fat; 2 grams fiber; 767 milligrams sodium; 42 grams protein; 4 grams sugar

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    In a large bowl, combine salt, pepper, bay leaves and paprika. Toss meat to coat, then cover, refrigerate and marinate at least 2 hours or overnight.

  2. Step 2

    Heat oven to 325 degrees. In a large (8-quart) Dutch oven or other heavy pot, heat butter and oil over medium-high until shimmering. Working in batches, brown beef on two sides until dark and crusty, transferring to a bowl when browned (reserve bay leaves). As you cook, add more oil and adjust heat if necessary to prevent burning.

  3. Step 3

    When all the meat is browned, add onions to the empty pot and return the heat to medium-high if you lowered it. Cook, stirring and scraping up the brown coating on the bottom of the pan as the onions release their liquid.

  4. Step 4

    Continue cooking until onions are deeply golden brown and soft, 20 to 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

  5. Step 5

    Meanwhile, make a bouquet garni by tying thyme, parsley and reserved bay leaves together with kitchen string (or just throw them in the pot and warn your guests not to eat them).

  6. Step 6

    Push the onions to the sides, then add tomato paste, coriander and cinnamon to the bottom of the pan. Cook, stirring, 1 minute, until paste is darkened and fragrant. Stir in flour, cook another minute, then add stock, beer, 1 cup water and bouquet garni. Return beef and any juices in the bowl to the pot, bring to a simmer, then cover and transfer to oven. Cook until beef is tender, about 2 ½ to 3 hours, turning it over halfway through.

  7. Step 7

    If the sauce seems thin, remove the meat with a slotted spoon; cover with foil to keep warm. Return pot with liquid to stove and simmer until thickened to taste, 5 to 10 minutes. Return the meat to pot and stir to heat through. Serve from the pot or a platter. Garnish with chopped parsley, flaky sea salt, pepper and paprika. Serve with mustard on the side.

Tip

  • To make this in an electric pressure cooker, reduce stock to 1 cup and cook at high pressure for 35 minutes. If using a slow cooker, cook on low for 5 to 7 hours.

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Ratings

4 out of 5
727 user ratings
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Comments

John

I still miss the videos

Justin

I've never been able to cook onions for any length of time at "medium-high" without burning the heck out of them, especially if I only check on them "occasionally." So sick of recipes giving bad onion tips.

Nan Conser

This is a favorite dish of ours. When I lived in Belgium I learned to finish it this way: cut thick slices of bread from a baguette and cover one side of the slices in Dijon mustard. Just before serving push the bread slices into the dish mustard side up, and run under the grill. This adds the flavor of the mustard and soaks up the sauce.

Narcissa

Turned out well, even though I made numerous small mistakes and had to correct for it.

Ayanna

For the most part, made as instructed, but used short rib instead of stew meat, used Mexican lager instead of Belgian ale, and subbed cumin for coriander. The end result was intensely flavorful and paired well with homemade fries. I usually skip draining the fat from the pan after sautéing beef, but this dish would have benefited from it (likely due to my choice of short rib).

Chocolate.

I see recommendations to add a bit of chocolate. Love the idea. But should it be sweetened or unsweetened?

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