Carbonnade a la Flammande

Carbonnade a la Flammande
3-3 1/2 pounds beef top blade steaks, gristle removed and cut into 1-inch pieces
Salt and ground black pepper
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 pounds medium onions, halved and sliced thin
2 medium cloves garlic, minced
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups homemade chicken stock or canned low-sodium chicken broth
1 1/2 cups dark beer
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
1 bay leaf
1 tablespoon dark brown sugar
1 tablespoon cider vinegar
Adjust the oven rack to the lower-middle position and heat the oven to 300 degrees.
Dry the beef thoroughly on paper towels, then season it generously with salt and pepper. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large ovenproof Dutch oven over medium-high heat until shimmering, about 2 minutes. Add half of the meat to the pot so that the individual pieces are close together but not touching. Cook, not moving the pieces until the sides touching the pot are well-browned, 2 to 3 minutes. Using tongs, turn each piece and continue cooking until most sides are well-browned, about 5 minutes longer. Transfer the beef to a medium bowl, add another 1 tablespoon oil to the pot, and swirl to coat the pan bottom. Brown the remaining beef, transfer the meat to the bowl and set aside.
Reduce the heat to medium-low, add the remaining tablespoon oil to the empty Dutch oven, and swirl to coat the pan bottom. Add the onions and 1/4 teaspoon salt and cook, stirring occasionally and vigorously, scraping the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon to loosen the browned bits, until the onions have released some moisture, about 5 minutes. Increase the heat to medium and cook, stirring occasionally and scraping the bottom of the pot, until the onions are limp, softened, and lightly browned, 12-14 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the flour and stir until the onions are evenly coated.
Stir in the stock, scraping the pan bottom and edges with a wooden spoon to loosen the browned bits. Gradually add the beer, stirring constantly and scraping the pan edges to dissolve the flour. Add the thyme, bay leaf, brown sugar, and cider vinegar as well as the browned beef and accumulated juices, pushing down on the beef to submerge the pieces; sprinkle with salt and pepper, bring to a simmer, cover, and place in the oven. Cook until the beef is fork-tender, 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Adjust the seasonings with salt and pepper to taste and serve. (Stew can be covered and refrigerated for several days. Bring back to a simmer over medium-low heat.)
Serves six to eight.
Nutrition values per serving: 568 calories, 28 g fat, 16 g carbohydrates, 2 g fiber, 57 g protein, 181 mg cholesterol, 421 mg sodium.
"The Best Recipe: Soup & Stews" by the editors of Cook's Illustrated Magazine
(2001 Boston Common Press, $29.95)

File: 'winterstew.rec3' in 'dpa'