I usually plan and specifically buy ingredients for what I intend to cook, but several weeks ago, I impulsively bought beef short ribs without any specific recipe in mind, just because they looked good. So I scrambled for inspiration on how to use this wonderful meat best. Recognizing that short ribs are best cooked slowly in flavorful broth, I considered braising liquids other than beef stock which could enhance flavor without overwhelming the meat. I decided to try beer, although I had not cooked much with beer. One previous stout attempt produced a bitter stew, but I wanted to try again.
I am not a beer connoisseur. For me, beer is a summer picnic drink – an excellent thirst quencher on a hot day and a great accompaniment to hot dogs and burgers. The only time I recall drinking beer in winter was on a car trip through the Bavarian Alps where every village had one microbrewery restaurant and local beer was what one drank with a hearty German dinner. That trip was an eye-opener to the wide variety of beers, each produced in small batches solely for local consumption. When I naively asked one German brewmaster whether he bottled his beer so we could take a few bottles along, he laughed and said “Not available. Lasting and shelf-life are not my worry. The beer I make is enjoyed within days of production!”
That trip to Bavaria taught me to appreciate the variety of light and dark German beers. My interest in beer was renewed a decade ago when my nephew Jason Oliver embarked on a beer-making career. Jason is now the award-winning brewmaster at Devil’s Backbone, a Virginian craft brewery. Having a brewmaster in the family has certain advantages. As Jason’s career developed, we sampled beers he created at family dinners in Maryland when Jason provided samples of his latest brews and explained their differences.
I learned the differences between lagers, ales and stouts and about the role of malts in spurring on the fermentation and hops in determining flavor. With some additional research, I learned that beer is possibly the oldest fermented drink and the most widely consumed alcoholic beverage globally. Beer manufacture and consumption of beer is noted in the earliest written records of Babylon and Egypt. Some archeologists and historians believe that beer was instrumental in developing civilizations.
So with my beef short ribs in hand, I researched cooking with beer and, not surprisingly, learned that beer is most often added to dishes in countries where beer consumption is highest – Germany, Czech Republic, Belgium and England – where various beers add earthy flavor to soups, stews and even sweets. I happened to have a bottle of Chimay Pères Trappistes Grande Réserve Ale, Blue Label, in the cooler which I thought would be perfect for cooking the short ribs. (You are probably wondering why I am not cooking with Jason’s beer. Unfortunately, Devil’s Backbone beers are distributed primarily in Virgnia and Maryland, so I can only savor them when I go east.)
The Chimay Blue is an exceptionally smooth ale with a fruity sweetness, an oaky undertone and a hint of spiciness. In light of Chimay’s national origin, I found a Belgian recipe that seemed tailor-made for this dark ale — Carbonnade á la Flamande. The resulting carbonnade was delicious, the beef short ribs were melting tender with a subtle taste of the ale, vegetables and aromatic herbs. I served the carbonnade over buttermilk mashed potatoes, warming comfort food for a cold evening. The carbonnade can also be served over spaetzle or other noodles.
Dark Ale Braised Beef Short Ribs – Carbonnade á la Flamande
4 pounds (1.8 k) beef short ribs, cut into 2 inch pieces
1 bottle 1 pint 9.4 oz (75 cl) dark ale, like Chimay Blue Label
1 tablespoon minced garlic
2 bay leaves
2 tablespoons all purpose flour
1 teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon black pepper, coarsely ground
2 tablespoons olive oil
9 ounces (250 g) meaty bacon
1 large onion, diced in ¼ inch pieces
1 stalk celery or ½ cup celery root, diced in ¼ inch pieces
5 large carrots, cut in 1 inch chunks
1 tablespoon tomato paste
6-7 sprigs fresh thyme, tied
2 cups beef broth
2 tablespoons parsley, chopped
Marinate beef overnight in ale, garlic and bay leaves. Next day, drain beef from marinade, reserving marinade. Pat meat dry with paper towels. Combine flour, salt and pepper and roll meat pieces in flour mixture, shaking off excess flour. Heat olive oil in a large Dutch oven until hot. Fry beef a few pieces at a time, ensuring pieces don’t touch to expedite browning, for about 5 minutes per batch, turning occasionally, until browned all over. Remove meat to a side dish and keep warm. Add more oil and heat until hot between batches as needed until all meat is browned and removed to a side dish.
Lower heat to medium and fry bacon in a Dutch oven for 6-8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until crisp and golden. Scoop out bacon with a slotted spoon and set aside with beef. Preheat oven to 250°F (120°C) degrees, adjusting rack to fit the Dutch oven.
Add onion to remaining fat in the Dutch oven and sauté for 3-4 minutes until translucent, but not browned. Toss in celery or celery root and carrots. Cook for 6-8 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove vegetables with a slotted spoon to a platter.
Add reserved marinade and beef broth to the Dutch oven, cook over medium heat until it starts to simmer, stirring for a few minutes to loosen the browned bits on the bottom of the pot. Add tomato paste, stirring until dissolved. Add reserved meat and vegetables with residual juices and thyme and heat until mixture starts to simmer. Place Dutch oven in the preheated oven and cook for 2 hours, stirring at mid-point.
When the beef is ready, taste for seasoning. Adjust salt and pepper if needed. Garnish with chopped parsley and serve straight from the casserole with creamy mashed or jacket potatoes or noodles.
Note: The carbonnade may be cooled and frozen for up to 1 month. Add 3 ½ ounces (100 ml) of beef stock to reheating sauce, adjusting salt and pepper if needed.
Phptp credits: Slava Johnson
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