You are trying to achieve a sweet and sour flavor with this
stew. So, you can swap out the sugar for tomato paste and you can use
cider vinegar instead of mustard if you want. You can also brown the
meat in vegetable oil instead of butter, though it will be more
flavorful with the butter. You can also use a couple slices of bread,
instead of adding flour, to thicken the stew.
Ingredients
- 3 1/2 lbs chuck roast, cut into 1-inch pieces
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 4 Tbsp butter
- 3 medium yellow onions sliced about 1/4 inch thick (about 8 cups)
- 3 Tbsp all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 cups chicken or beef broth
- 1 1/2 cups (12 oz bottle) Belgian beer
- 4 sprigs fresh thyme
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 Tbsp whole grain mustard
- 1 Tbsp brown sugar
Method
 
1 Pat beef dry with paper towels, then season well with salt
and pepper. On the stove top, heat 2 tablespoons of butter in a large
heavy bottomed dutch oven over medium-high heat until hot, almost
smoking. Working in batches, brown the meat, without stirring, about 3
minutes on each side (do not stir, give the meat an opportunity to brown
well). Transfer browned beef to a separate bowl.
 
2 Add 2 tablespoons butter to dutch oven; reduce heat to
medium. Add the onions and 1/2 teaspoon of salt; cook until onions are
browned, about 15 minutes. Add flour and stir until onions are evenly
coated and flour is lightly browned, about 2 minutes. Stir in broth,
scraping pan bottom to loosen browned bits; stir in beer, thyme, bay,
browned beef with any of the accumulated juices, and salt and pepper to
taste. Increase heat to medium-high and bring to a full simmer. Reduce
heat to low, partially cover, let cook for 2-3 hours until beef is fork
tender. (Alternatively can cook in the oven at 300°F.) Stir
occasionally, scraping up anything that is sticking to the bottom of the
pan. About half an hour before it finishes cooking, add the mustard
and brown sugar. Adjust seasonings to taste.
3 Discard thyme and bay leaf. Adjust seasonings with salt
and pepper to taste and serve. Can serve plain, with potatoes, over
noodles, or over French fries.
Serves 6.
Whatever ale you have used in the cooking makes for a great drink
accompaniment to the stew.
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