Laurent Mariotte’s Quick 3-Ingredient Carbonade Flamande Recipe!

Frequently featured on the menus of taverns in Hauts-de-France, Flemish carbonade originally hails from Belgium. For those unfamiliar, think of it as Flanders’ answer to beef bourguignon – a slow-cooked beef dish that generally simmers for 2 to 3 hours.

However, that’s where the similarities end. The components of the sauce are quite different, except maybe for the onions. In carbonade, local dark beer takes the place of red wine. Its richness also comes from slices of gingerbread slathered in mustard, which melt during braising to release warm and fragrant notes, along with a subtle sweetness, sometimes enhanced by a bit of brown sugar. Add to that some bacon bits, a bouquet garni, and perhaps a splash of vinegar to deglaze the onions.

A long grocery list… unless you choose Laurent Mariotte’s “shortened” version, which boils it down to just three main ingredients: beef for stewing, dark beer, and gingerbread.

The journalist and culinary host begins by cutting a good kilogram of meat into large cubes. In a thick-bottomed casserole dish, he browns the meat in a drizzle of sunflower oil on all sides. He then adds 70 cl of dark beer enough to cover the meat, covers it, and lets it simmer over very low heat for 2 hours. After this time, he adds 8 slices of gingerbread, pours in a glass of water, and seasons with salt and pepper before continuing to cook covered for another 1 to 1.5 hours. A pro tip: if the sauce thickens too much, thin it with a little water and stir well. This should serve around 4 hungry diners!

For sides, Laurent Mariotte suggests some steamed potatoes or sweet potato fries (he shares this recipe on his website too). But in a pinch, traditional fries are a perfect match!