Serves: 2–3
Cook time: ~2½ hours (mostly hands-off)
Ingredients
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2 Tbsp butter (or butter + a splash of oil)
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2 large onions
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1 Tbsp brown sugar
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1 Tbsp flour
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12 oz Belgian dark ale (Dubbel, Bruin, or something like Chimay Blue, Westmalle Dubbel, or even a good brown ale)
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1 cup beef stock
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1 Tbsp Dijon mustard
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1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar (or red wine vinegar)
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1 bay leaf
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2–3 sprigs fresh thyme (or ½ tsp dried)
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Salt & black pepper, to taste
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Optional but very traditional:
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1 slice rustic bread, spread thick with Dijon mustard
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Instructions
1. Brown the beef
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Pat the beef dry and season generously with salt and pepper.
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Heat butter in a heavy pot or Dutch oven over medium-high.
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Brown the beef in batches (don’t crowd), getting good color.
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Remove beef and set aside.
Color here = flavor later. Worth the time.
2. Caramelize the onions
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Lower heat to medium.
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Add onions to the same pot with a pinch of salt.
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Cook 20–30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until deeply golden and jammy.
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Add brown sugar and cook 1–2 minutes more.
3. Build the stew
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Sprinkle flour over onions; stir and cook 1 minute.
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Slowly pour in the beer, scraping up all the browned bits.
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Add beef stock, vinegar, bay leaf, and thyme.
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Return beef (and juices) to the pot.
4. The mustard bread (classic move)
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Spread Dijon thickly on the bread.
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Lay it mustard-side down on top of the stew.
(It will dissolve and thicken the sauce — very Belgian.)
5. Simmer low and slow
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Bring to a gentle simmer.
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Cover and cook on low for 2–2½ hours, stirring occasionally, until beef is fork-tender.
6. Finish & adjust
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Remove bay and thyme stems.
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Taste and adjust salt, pepper, and vinegar if needed.
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If sauce is too thin, simmer uncovered 10–15 minutes.
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If too thick, splash in a little stock or beer.
