Carbonnade

Beer-Braised Belgian Brisket



According to The Food Encyclopedia, carbonnade is:

"a French method of braising meat, originally referring to meats grilled over charcoal."

However, these days carbonnade most frequently refers to a Flemish beef dish from Belgium braised in beer. However, the name probably originated with the Spanish word, carbonada, meaning "broiled meat." You can't get much more cross-cultural than that.

Unless you happen to make it in the Southeastern US, that is.

The Belgians, and in particular the Trappist monks, are famous for their beers. And so it's no wonder that it's a common cooking ingredient. For instance, there's a popular recipe for veal chops with chervil that uses beer and there's Poulet a la Biere.

For a braise, such as Carbonnade, you need a tough, fatty piece of meat. Tough so it can stand up to the long cooking time, and fatty so that the fat and connective tissue prevent the creation of something like shoe leather. Chuck roast is a popular and excellent choice for braising, but so is brisket — and I just happened to have one when a cold snap came through last week.

Carbonnade

3 lb beef brisket — trimmed of external fat
salt and pepper to taste
3 oz salt pork cut into batons
3 ea onions — diced
1 1/2 btl beer
1 c beef stock
4 - 6 ea boiling potatoes (2" diameter) — quartered
3 - 4 ea carrots — peeled and cut into 3/4" lengths
1 tbsp juniper berries — crushed
1 tbsp tomato paste
1 ea bay leaf

Heat oven to 350F.

Liberally season brisket with salt and pepper. Slowly cook batons, rendering fat, in a dutch oven until crisp. Drain on a paper towel, dice, and reserve.

Brown brisket on all sides in fat, then reserve on a plate.

Sauté onions over medium heat until lightly browned. Add beer and deglaze pot.

Return brisket to pot along with beef stock, juniper berries, bay leaf, bacon, and tomato paste. Cover and place in middle of oven. Cook one hour, then turn over brisket. Cook, covered, for another hour. Turn brisket over again, add carrots and potatoes, and add a bit of water if needed — the vegetables should be submerged. Cook 45 minutes longer or until potatoes are tender.

Note: The photo of the fall colors was taken looking straight out from my living room balcony.

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