This is the second video in the Beer Idiots attempt to out do each other in the best carbonade flamande. This is Ahmed’s version. Coming up next is a session with two diplomatic tasting judges and some frites.
Ahmed decided to make two versions – differing only in the beers used. One version (red pot) was made with Chimay Blue, the other with a Westvleteren 12.
Ahmed’s recipe is (can be made in one pot – or divided into two pots if you want to try two different beers):
- 2 large Spanish onions
- lots of butter
- 1 to 1.4 kg of meat
- 2 bottles of brown or dark strong beer
- fresh parsley
- bay leaves
- sprigs of thyme
- 2 hot peppers
- garlic
- De Kroon or Tierenteyn mustard
- 1 large tablespoon of Sirop de Liege (apple-pear syrup)
- gingerbread slice
- brown bread slice
- salt to taste
Fry the onions in lots of butter. Chop up the meat. Brown the meat in left over butter with more butter (very carefully not to burn the butter). Fry the garlic separately along with the peppers and toss in the crock pot. Deglaze the frying pan with the beer and add this to the crock pot. Add the bay leaves, thyme and sirop de Liege. Keep salting to taste. Spread a lot of mustard on the gingerbread and/or brown bread and place facedown in the pot. I cook in a crock pot for about 30 minutes before putting the pot in a 180 C oven for 4-5 hours or less, depending on how tender you want the meat. I add the fresh parsley at the last minute.
Options: You can also add carrots (none used for this), or substitute pork or pork cheeks. Experiment! Accompaniments are double-fried Belgian fries (a must); mayo and greens of some sort (e.g. shredded cabbage). Picture shows one made with carrots.
Check out Dieter’s version of carbonade flamande
Carbonade flamande cook-off: the decision
Carbonade flamande: the making of
