Carbonnade Flamande
(Flank steak with onions)
Serves 2
Ingredients:
350 g flank steak (about 3/4 pound)
3 garlic cloves
2 medium yellow onions, thinly sliced
3 Tbsp unsalted butter
1 Tbsp vegetable oil
2 Tbsp brown sugar
2 Tbsp red wine vinegar
1 cup brown beer
1 cup veal stock (or 1 cup reduced beef bouillon; start with 2 cups and reduce if using this option)
1 bouquet garni (1 bay leaf, 3 parsley stems, 2 thyme branches wrapped with string in leek)
pinch salt and white pepper
Heat oven to 400F.
In the same direction that the steak’s tissue runs, slice steak thinly, at an angle.
Slice onions thinly.
Peel and mince garlic (remove germ, the little bud in the middle of each clove, and discard).
On stovetop, heat cocotte or other thick, ovenproof pan, over medium-to-medium-high heat. Add 3 Tbsp unsalted butter + 1 Tbsp vegetable oil. Heat until hot but not smoking.
Season meat with pinch of salt and white pepper right before cooking.
When butter/oil are very hot, add meat slices and cook just long enough to brown all sides (don’t overcook; this should only take 1 or 2 minutes. Meat should sizzle when it hits the pan, or it won’t brown correctly and will stick to the bottom of the pan. And then where are we?).
Remove meat and set aside. Leave pan on heat for 1 minute.
Add thinly sliced onions and cook approx. 5 minutes.
Add minced garlic, brown sugar, then red wine vinegar. Blend.
Add meat (and any juice from meat).
Add beer + bouquet garni.
Check seasoning; add pinch salt and white pepper only if you need it.
Add veal stock (or reduced beef bouillon, but veal stock’s a whole lot better).
Bring just to boil. Cover cocotte or pan and place in oven at 400F for 1 hour 15 minutes (or 1 + 1/2 hours if meat isn’t tender by 1 hour 15 minutes).
Serve in a large soup bowl (the sauce isn’t meant to be thick; this dish will look along the lines of French onion soup).