Belgian on Kvalifood

Stoofvleessaus (Flemish Beef Stew)

Sat, 10 May 2025 07:10:29 +0100

Stoofvleessaus (Flemish Beef Stew) - kvalifood.com

Stoofvlees (also called carbonnade flamande) is a Flemish beef stew braised in Belgian beer with onions, brown sugar, and mustard-slathered bread for thickening. The bread dissolves completely during cooking, leaving a rich, slightly tangy sauce. The dish is intentionally simple - beef, onions, and beer - and the flavor comes from long, slow braising. Serve over frites with mayonnaise on the side.

Ingredients

Serves 6

1.1 kg beef chuck, cut into 3-4 cm cubes
3 medium onions (~300 g), thinly sliced
500 ml dark Belgian beer (abbey dubbel or brown ale)
250 ml beef stock
2 tbsp butter
1 tbsp neutral oil
2 tbsp dark brown sugar
2 tbsp vinegar (apple cider or white wine)
2 slices sturdy bread
2 tbsp coarse mustard, spread on bread
2 bay leaves
3-4 sprigs fresh thyme (or 1 tsp dried thyme)
salt, to taste
black pepper, to taste

Optional

100 g smoked bacon (or lardons), chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tbsp flour (if not using bread thickening)

Serves 6

2½ lb beef chuck, cut into 1¼–1½ inches cubes
3 medium onions (~10½ oz), thinly sliced
2 cups dark Belgian beer (abbey dubbel or brown ale)
1 cup beef stock
2 tbsp butter
1 tbsp neutral oil
2 tbsp dark brown sugar
2 tbsp vinegar (apple cider or white wine)
2 slices sturdy bread
2 tbsp coarse mustard, spread on bread
2 bay leaves
3-4 sprigs fresh thyme (or 1 tsp dried thyme)
salt, to taste
black pepper, to taste

Optional

3½ oz smoked bacon (or lardons), chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tbsp flour (if not using bread thickening)

Directions

Season the beef cubes generously with salt and pepper.
Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Brown the beef in batches, getting good color on all sides - about 3-4 minutes per batch. Do not crowd the pot. Set the browned meat aside.
If using bacon, add it to the pot now and cook until the fat renders, about 3-4 minutes.
Lower the heat to medium. Add the butter and onions. Cook for 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onions are soft and starting to caramelize. Add the garlic if using and cook 1 minute more.
Pour in a splash of beer and scrape up all the browned bits from the bottom of the pot.
Return the beef to the pot. Add the remaining beer, stock, brown sugar, and vinegar. Stir to combine. Tuck in the bay leaves and thyme.
Spread mustard on one side of each bread slice. Place them on top of the stew, mustard-side down. The bread will dissolve during cooking and thicken the sauce.
Bring to a gentle simmer. Cover and cook on low heat for 2.5-3 hours, until the beef is fork-tender and the sauce has thickened. Stir once or twice during cooking - the bread will break apart and disappear into the sauce.
Remove the bay leaves and thyme sprigs. Taste and adjust the seasoning with salt, pepper, and a splash more vinegar if needed.
Serve over frites with mayonnaise on the side.

Notes

Use a dark Belgian beer - abbey dubbel, brown ale, or similar. Avoid very hoppy or very sweet beers.
The mustard-bread technique is the traditional Flemish way to thicken this stew. If you prefer, skip the bread and toss the beef in 2 tbsp flour before browning instead.
This dish improves significantly when made ahead, cooled, refrigerated overnight, and reheated.
Oven method: after step 7, cover and transfer to a 140-150 C (285-300 F) oven for 3 hours.
Slow cooker: after deglazing, transfer everything to a slow cooker. Cook on low for 6-8 hours.
Keep it simple. Traditional stoofvlees is about beef, onions, and beer - resist the urge to add many vegetables or spices.

Sauce aux Cerises (Cherry Sauce)

Sat, 28 Sep 2024 21:41:04 +0100

Sauce aux Cerises (Cherry Sauce) - kvalifood.com

A Belgian cherry sauce for duck, game, or meatballs. Sour cherries are simmered in port and red wine vinegar with a bit of sugar, then finished with cold butter for gloss. Cherry sauce with meat - especially frikadellen and game - is a distinctly Belgian combination. The Belgian tradition favors sour cherries (krieken), the same variety used in kriek lambic beer.

Ingredients

Serves 4

400 g sour cherries, pitted (frozen, jarred, or canned - reserve any juice)
150 ml port (or fruity red wine)
1 tbsp red wine vinegar
1 tbsp sugar (brown or granulated)
1 tbsp cold butter, cut in small pieces
1 pinch salt

Optional

1 shallot (~30 g), finely minced
1 tsp cornstarch mixed with 1 tbsp cold water

Serves 4

14 oz sour cherries, pitted (frozen, jarred, or canned - reserve any juice)
¾ cup port (or fruity red wine)
1 tbsp red wine vinegar
1 tbsp sugar (brown or granulated)
1 tbsp cold butter, cut in small pieces
1 pinch salt

Optional

1 shallot (~1 oz), finely minced
1 tsp cornstarch mixed with 1 tbsp cold water

Directions

If using a shallot: soften it in a small knob of butter or pan drippings over medium-low heat for 3-4 minutes. If making a standalone sauce without shallot, skip to step 2.
Add the port (or red wine) and red wine vinegar. Increase heat and reduce by about half, 3-4 minutes.
Add the cherries (with any reserved juice), sugar, and salt. Simmer gently for 8-10 minutes until the cherries are tender and the sauce has thickened slightly.
Taste and adjust sweetness - add more sugar if the cherries are very tart.
If the sauce is too thin, stir in the cornstarch slurry and simmer 1-2 minutes more.
Remove from heat. Stir in the cold butter pieces until melted and the sauce is glossy.
Serve warm alongside duck, venison, wild boar, or meatballs.

Notes

Sour cherries (griottes, Morello, or Montmorency) are traditional and give the best balance of fruit and tartness. Sweet cherries work but need more acid - add an extra tablespoon of vinegar.
If using dried sour cherries, use 110 g and increase the port to 300 ml. Simmer 30-40 minutes until the cherries are plump and the liquid is syrupy.
Without alcohol: replace the port with an equal amount of tart cherry juice or a mix of cherry juice and a splash of vinegar.
After searing duck or game, pour off excess fat, deglaze with the port or wine, then continue from step 3. Pan drippings add richness.
The sauce reheats well. It thickens as it cools - thin with a splash of water or stock when rewarming.

Sauce Liegeoise

Wed, 31 Aug 2022 20:10:34 +0100

Sauce Liegeoise - kvalifood.com

Sauce Liegeoise is a sweet-and-sour onion sauce from the Liege region of Belgium. Onions are slowly caramelized with brown sugar, deglazed with vinegar, then simmered in dark beer and beef stock with sirop de Liege - a thick fruit syrup made from apples, pears, and dates. The sauce originated in the 1930s at a restaurant in Liege (the “sauce lapin” name comes from Madame Geraldine Lapin, not from rabbit). It is traditionally served over meatballs (boulets) with frites and mayonnaise.