Beer Braised Beef and Onions
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp salt more as needed
- 1 tsp black pepper more for garnish
- 6 bay leaves
- 2 tsp paprika sweet, more for garnish
- 2 kg beef stew meat boneless, cut into 4 cm chunks
- 1 tbsp butter
- 1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil more as needed
- 4 onions very large, yellow, thinly sliced
- 6 sprigs thyme fresh
- 4 sprigs parsley fresh, plus chopped parsley, for garnish
- 1 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 tsp coriander ground
- ¼ tsp cinnamon ground
- 1 tbsp all-purpose flour
- 50 cl beef stock preferably homemade
- 25 cl beer preferably Belgian-style or brown ale
- Flaky sea salt for garnish
Instructions
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In a large bowl, combine the salt, pepper, bay leaves and paprika. Toss the meat to coat, then cover, refrigerate and marinate at least 2 hours or overnight.
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Heat the oven to 160°C.
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In a large Dutch oven or other heavy pot, heat the butter and oil over medium-high until shimmering. Working in batches, brown the 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 the heat if necessary to prevent burning.
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When all the meat is browned, add the onions to the empty pot and raise the heat to medium-high. Cook, stirring and scraping up the brown coating on the bottom of the pan as the onions release their liquid.
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Continue cooking until the onions are deeply golden brown and soft, 20 to 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
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Meanwhile, make a bouquet garni by tying thyme, parsley and reserved bay leaves together with a kitchen string.
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Push the onions to the sides, then add the tomato paste, coriander and cinnamon to the bottom of the pan. Cook, stirring, 1 minute, until the paste is darkened and fragrant. Stir in the flour, cook another minute, then add the beer, 1 cup water and the bouquet garni. Return the beef and any juices in the bowl to the pot, bring to a simmer, then cover and transfer the pot to the oven. Cook until the beef is tender, about 2 1/2 to 3 hours, turning it over halfway through.
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If the sauce seems thin, remove the meat with a slotted spoon; cover it with foil to keep it warm. Return the pot with the liquid to stove and simmer until thickened to taste, 5 to 10 minutes. Return the meat to the pot and stir to heat through. Serve from the pot or a platter. Garnish with chopped parsley, flaky sea salt, pepper and paprika.
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Serve it over potatoes, noodles or polenta.
Recipe Notes
Recipe and photography by https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1019156-beer-braised-beef-and-onions
Posted by Melissa Clark and Andrew Scrivani for The New York Times