Flemish beef stew cooked in beer

6 Servings

Ingredients

Quantity Ingredient
4 pounds Beef stew meat; 2\" cubes
1 teaspoon Salt
½ teaspoon Freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons Flour; to 3 tb
3 tablespoons Unsalted butter; to 4 tb
3 larges Onions; thinly sliced
24 ounces Belgian beer
2 Sprigs thyme; to 3 sprigs
2 Bay leaves
1½ tablespoon Red currant jelly
1 tablespoon Red wine vinegar

Directions

1. Season beef cubes with salt and pepper and coat with flour. Shake off any excess.

2. In a large, heavy skillet, melt 2 tablespoons of butter over high heat until hot, but not smoking. Add beef cubes and saute until nicely browned on all sides. Work in batches so as not to crowd beef cubes or they will steam instead of saute. Add another tablespoon of butter, if needed. Transfer beef to a heavy Dutch oven.

3. Melt remaining 1 tablespoon butter in the same skiller over medium heat. Add onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until browned, about 15 minutes. Combine onions and meat in Dutch oven.

4. Add beer to skillet. Raise heat to high and bring to a boil, scraping the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon to loosen any browned bits.

5. Pour beer over meat. Add thyme and bay leaves. Simmer, covered, over low heat until meat is very tender, 1½ to 2 hours.

6. Just before servig, stir in jelly and vinegar; simmer for 5 minutes. Remove thyme sprigs and bay leaves. Taste, adding more salt and pepper if needed.

From "Everybody Eats Well in Belgium Cookbook" by Ruth Van Warebeck; printed in the Chicago Sun Times, October 9, 1996

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