Pot roast carbonnade

Preparation Time20 mins
Cooking Time160 mins
Serves4
DifficultyEasy

Ingredients

225g slab bacon, cut into large lardons

2 medium onions, sliced

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 tbsp vegetable oil

675g beef chuck, cut into large cubes

5 carrots, peeled, cut into large chunks

1 generous tbsp plain flour

350ml beer (dark or light, depending on your preference)

6 prunes

1 tbsp dried thyme

240ml beef stock

Method

1) Preheat the oven to 180C/Gas 3. Place the cubes of bacon in a large Dutch oven or heavy casserole with a lid over a medium-low heat, and cook until it renders its fat and almost becomes crispy. Remove with a slotted spoon to a plate.

2) Add the onions, season with salt and pepper, to taste, and cook over low heat until they are deep in colour and caramelised, about 30 minutes. Remove the onions to a plate, leaving as much fat in the pot as possible.

3) Add the vegetable oil and mix it with the bacon fat. Raise the heat to high. Season the beef liberally with salt and pepper and sear, in batches, until nicely browned on both sides.

4) Once the meat is browned, add the first batch of meat back to the pan along with the onions, carrots and bacon. Sprinkle in the flour and stir. Cook for 1 minute before deglazing the pan with the beer.

5) Add the remaining ingredients and bring the mixture to a simmer. Cover the pan and put it in the oven to braise until the beef is tender, about 2 hours. Remove the pot from the oven and transfer the pot roast to a serving dish.

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Pot roast carbonnade