Beef Carbonnade

3.5 beef short ribs trimmed (see notes)

2 tbsp olive oil

¼ cup plain/all-purpose flour

1 large carrot diced

2 brown onions sliced

10.5 oz button mushrooms if small leave whole, or thickly sliced

6 oz smoked ham diced

2 tbsp tomato paste

2 fresh garlic cloves crushed

2 tbsp wholegrain mustard

1 tbsp fresh thyme leaves or 1 teaspoon dried

1 tbsp fresh rosemary finely chopped

12 oz beer (see my notes)

17 oz beef stock

salt & pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 320f.

Cut beef into individual ribs, then dust ribs in plain/all-purpose (¼ cup) flour.

Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large flameproof casserole dish/dutch oven over medium-high heat.

Fry ribs in batches until well browned all over (adding extra oil if needed) and then remove to a plate.

Add carrot (1 – diced), brown onion (2 – sliced,) mushrooms whole or thickly sliced) and ham diced) to the pot and fry until the vegetables start to soften.

Add tomato paste (2 tbsp) and garlic cloves (2 – crushed) to the vegetable mixture and continue to cook for 30 seconds.

Add beer and bring to a simmer.

Add wholegrain mustard (2 tbsp), fresh thyme leaves (1 tbsp) and fresh rosemary (1 tablespoon – finely chopped) and stir to combine & scrape any flavour spots from the base of the pot.

Add beef stock and return beef ribs (along with any resting juices) to the pot then bring to a simmer.

Cover & bake for 2 hours or until beef is tender (see my notes), add salt and pepper to taste and serve.

Notes

When you are browning the ribs at the start of this recipe, colour means flavour! You want to brown the ribs really well, plus the yummy bits of colour that build up on the base of the pot are flavour too so don’t waste them!

The weight of the ribs may seem a lot, but this weight includes the bones.

You could substitute bacon for the speck.

I used lager, but you could use any kind of beer you enjoy.

If the beef isn’t tender after the 2 hours of cooking time, place it back in the oven for another 30 minutes.

If you would like a thicker consistency to the sauce once the dish is cooked, just remove the ribs from the sauce and simmer the sauce on the stove for a few minutes to thicken slightly.