Flemish beef stew

Servings

4

Prep Time

20 minutes

Cook Time

4 hours

Cuisine

Flemish

Not so simple. Very tasty! Flemish beef stew or better Patatje stoof! This dish always hits the spot, mainly in the winter time is it perfect. Crispy fries, creamy and rich beef stew and a fresh gremolata. Just perfect!

Flemish beef stew

Ingredients

  • 1 kg beef rib steaks
  • 3 cloves of garlic
  • 3 bay leaves 
  • 2 white onions 
  • 2 casino white sandwiches 
  • 1 beef stock cube (Maggi) 
  • 1 bottle of brown beer (330 ml)
  • 3 tbsp Dijon mustard 
  • 2 tbsp flour Fresh thyme
  • 2 tbsp vinegar
  • 350 ml water for the beef stock
  • 1 tbsp appelstroop (apple syrup)

Gremolata

  • Parsley
  • Lemon
  • Salt
  • Pepper

Directions

  1. Cut 1 kilo of beef rib steaks into large pieces and sprinkle all over with salt and pepper. Remove large chunks of fat

  2. Heat a large knob of butter in a frying pan and sear the meat all over for 5 minutes. Remove and set aside leaving the grease
  3. Chop the white onions and garlic.
  4. In the meat pan, stew the onions and garlic over medium heat for about 5 minutes until translucent.
  5. Return the meat to the pan and add 2 tbsp flour. Stir fry the flour over medium heat until done.
  6. Pour the beer into the mixture and bring to the boil.
  7. Spread the casino white sandwiches  with Dijon mustard and place securely on the meat.
  8. Now also pour the beef stock and the vinegar into the mixture.
  9. Add a few sprigs of thyme and 2-3 bay leaves.
  10. Let the meat simmer over low heat for at least 3-4 hours with the lid on the pan.
  11. (If the meat is tender but the sauce not thickened enough, leave the lid off the pan. Till thickened
  12. Cut the potatoes into fries, mix in a bowl with olive oil salt and pepper
  13. Layer the potatoes on a baking tray and bake in the oven at 200 degrees celsius (400 degrees Fahrenheit) for 40 minutes or until golden brown and crispy.
  14. Make the gremolata by combining juice of ¼ lemon, zest of 1 lemon, a grated garlic clove, finely chopped parsley, salt and some olive oil.
  15. Serve and garnish with the gremolata