Flemish Beef Stew

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             FOOD FUNNY
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Thanks to BobbiJo Cook for this groaner:

Two vultures board an airplane, each carrying two dead raccoons. The
flight attendant looks at them and says, "I’m sorry, gentlemen, only one carrion allowed per passenger."

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             TODAY'S RECIPE
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The Belgians know that their beers are among the best in the world, and
that is why they use them so much in cooking. For best results with this
recipe, use a rich, dark Belgian beer such as Rodenbach or dark Abbey
beer. The addition of the sweet-and-sour element at the end of cooking
gives this dish its authentic Flemish flavor.

Flemish Beef Stew (Vlaamse Stovery, Les Carbonades Flamandes)

4 lbs (1.8 Kg) boneless stew meat cut into
2-inch (5 cm) pieces
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
3 Tbs (45 ml) all-purpose flour
4 Tbs (60 ml) butter
3 large onions, thinly sliced
3 cups (760 ml) dark beer
1 tsp (5 ml) dried thyme
2 bay (laurel) leaves
2 Tbs (30 ml) red currant jelly
1 Tbs (15 ml) red wine vinegar

Season the beef generously with salt and pepper and dust lightly with
flour. Heat half the butter in a large, heavy skillet over high heat and
brown the beef in small batches until browned on all sides, transferring
them to a large, heavy pot as they are done. Add the remaining butter to
the same skillet and saute the onions until nicely browned, about 20
minutes. Transfer the onions to the pot with the beef. Deglaze the
skillet with the beer, scraping up all the brown bits on the bottom of
the pan, and add the beer to the pot. Stir in the thyme and bay leaf and
bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat and simmer covered until
the meat is very tender, 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Stir in the currant jelly and vinegar immediately before serving.
Serves 6 to 8.
Received on Sun Mar 29 19:51:09 2009