Carbonnade Flamande (Flemish Braised Short Rib Stew)

These braised short ribs are melt in your mouth luxurious. Beer and beef broth give the stew unctuousness. Apple cider vinegar brightens up the whole dish, whereas apple cider lends much needed sweetness.

Course dinner, Main Course

Cuisine American, Belgian, French

Keyword Beef, Braised

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 4

Total Time 4 15

Servings people

Calories 310kcal

Ingredients

1 tsp neutral oil
2-3 lbs short ribs
1 medium onion, sliced into half moons
1 carrot peeled and chopped into 1 inch pieces
1 stalk celery, chopped into 1 inch pieces
4 cloves garlic
1 sprig thyme
1 cup beef broth
1 cup dark beer (Belgian preferred, on the drier side)
½ cup apple cider
¼ cup apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 275 degrees Fahrenheit.
Trim the fat and silver skin off of your short ribs if necessary. Then, season all sides of the meat with salt and pepper.
Heat oil on high heat and sear the short rib pieces on all sides in a hot dutch oven, being careful not to overcrowd the pot. Work in batches if needed.
Remove the short ribs after a nice crust has formed on all sides of the meat. Then, add the sliced onions and cook until soft and brown, about 10-15 minutes. Make sure to scrape up all of the caramelized beefy bits stuck to the bottom of the pot.
After the onions have caramelized, add the carrots, garlic cloves and celery and warm the vegetables through. Then, add broth, beer, apple cider, apple cider vinegar, soy sauce and Worcestershire sauce. Nestle the short rib pieces back into the liquid (it's ok if some of the pieces are sticking out).
Bake the whole pot, covered, for 3-4 hours. The beef is ready if a paring knife can easily pierce it.
When the meat is cooked, carefully take the short ribs out with a pair of tongs. Try to keep the bones in place for presentation. It's likely they will fall out at this point because the beef will be very tender.
Strain the vegetables and herbs out of the braising and skim away all of the fat.
Reduce the braising liquid on medium-high heat in a shallow saucepan until it has turned into a sticky sauce. It should easily coat the back of a spoon. This will take 1-2 hours.
Once the sauce is ready, add your short ribs back to the sauce and carefully coat them in the jus. Heat the short ribs through, covered so the sauce doesn't reduce further.
Serve with mashed potatoes and vegetables or salad.

Notes

If you plan on serving this the day you make it, you can easily and quickly skim the fat from the braising liquid by swirling several ice cubes into it. The fat will solidify around the ice cubes and will break away as the cubes melt, turning into pieces that can easily be picked out.
To make this in advance, refrigerate the short ribs and strained braising liquid after the meat has cooked through. The next day, the fat will have solidified in a layer and will be easy to remove before reducing the liquid down to a sauce. The carbonnade flamande will last three days in the fridge, and should be warmed through gently to prevent the sauce from reducing further.

Nutrition