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Slow-cooked Flemish carbonnades

Slow-cooked Flemish carbonnades

Main dishes

A classic Belgian dish: beef cubes slowly simmered with onions, bay leaves, thyme, and a mustard sauce that ties the flavors together.

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Recipe from JopkeB, Multichill, Pjetter and 12 other contributors (Wikibooks), adapted by Recette de cuisine · · updated on

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Carbonades is a Belgian dish made with relatively firm pieces of beef, cooked for a long time. The bread soaked in mustard thickens the sauce.

Ingredients and directions

  • Prep time20 min
  • Cook time2 hr
  • Total2 hr 20 min
  • DifficultyMedium
  • CostModerate
  • Cooking methodnibbling
  • Estimated cost$20.08 $3.35 / serving Estimated price; varies by store. Converted from euros at the ECB rate of October 7, 2026.

Ingredients

6 people
  • $18.28
  • $0.29
  • $1.39
  • $0.04
  • $0.01
  • $0.07

Prices from US supermarkets for 4 of 6 ingredients; Belgian prices for the rest.

Directions

  1. Cut the meat into 3 cm cubes. Sear them quickly in a frying pan, then transfer them to a pot.
  2. Sauté the finely chopped onions in the pan until they are translucent, then add them to the meat.
  3. Cover the meat with broth until it is submerged, or use beer from an abbey combined with broth.
  4. Add the salt, pepper, thyme, bay leaf, and sugar. ≈ 3 min
  5. Spread mustard evenly over the bread slice and place it on top of the meat. Cover and let simmer for 2 hours over very low heat.
  6. Finish with a drizzle of vinegar and, if desired, thicken the sauce. ≈ 3 min

The bill

Slow-cooked Flemish carbonnades

  • 1 kg of beef suitable for slow cooking$18.28
  • 2 large onions, finely chopped$0.29
  • 500 ml of broth (or beer brewed with broth)$1.39
  • 1 tablespoon of salt$0.04
  • 2 pieces of sugar$0.01
  • 1 tablespoon of mustard$0.07

Total$20.08

that's $3.35 per person

Estimated price; varies by store.

Equipment

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Before you start

Ingredients

  • 1 kg of beef suitable for slow cooking
  • 2 large onions, finely chopped
  • 500 ml of broth (or beer brewed with broth)
  • 1 tablespoon of salt
  • A pinch of pepper
  • 2 sprigs of thyme
  • One bay leaf
  • 2 pieces of sugar
  • One slice of bread
  • 1 tablespoon of mustard
  • 1 splash of vinegar

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