Hairy Bikers Shin Beef Stew

Two full bottles of dark beer go into this Hairy Bikers shin beef stew, because its proper name is Carbonades Flamandes. The recipe comes from their official website, a Flemish beef and beer stew serving 4 at around 810 calories, with 2 hours in the oven.

Belgium’s answer to our ale stews leans sweet and sour, which is why redcurrant jelly and cider vinegar both go into the pot. Half a kilo of onions melts underneath it all, and only 250ml of stock joins the beer.

The promise on the official recipe is beef that turns tender and glutinous, and glutinous is the word that matters. Shin is packed with collagen, so those 2 hours dissolve it into a sticky, glossy richness no lean cut can produce.

Hairy Bikers Shin Beef Stew Recipe

Author: Alex Saidani Cooking Method:Braising Cuisine:British Belgian Courses:Dinner

Difficulty:BeginnerPrep time: 25 minutesCook time:2 hours 15 minutesRest time: minutesTotal time:2 hours 40 minutesServings:4 servingsCalories:810 kcal Best Season:Summer

Description

Cubes of shin get dredged through seasoned flour, then brown in butter and oil before a mountain of chopped onions colours in the same pan. Everything reunites with thyme, bay leaves, dark beer, stock, redcurrant jelly, and cider vinegar, then a lidded pot bakes low and slow until the beef collapses into softness, served with chips or roasted roots.

Ingredients

• 1kg shin of beef, trimmed of any sinew and cubed
• 2 tbsp plain flour, seasoned with salt and black pepper
• 75g butter
• 2 tbsp oil
• 500g onions, roughly chopped
• 1 sprig of fresh thyme, leaves only
• 3 bay leaves
• 2 x 330ml bottles of dark brown beer
• 250ml beef stock
• 2 heaped tbsp redcurrant jelly
• 1 tbsp cider vinegar

Instructions

1. Dredge the shin: Heat the oven to 180°C. Toss the beef cubes through the seasoned flour until every side wears a light coat, which will quietly thicken the stew later.
2. Brown in butter: Melt the butter with the oil in a large ovenproof pan, then brown the beef on all sides over a medium heat, working in batches if the pan crowds. Set the beef aside.
3. Colour the onions: Cook the onions in the same pan until they brown at the edges, since their sweetness is half the stew’s character. Return the beef once they’re there.
4. Build the pot: Pour in the beer and stock while scraping every browned bit off the pan’s base, then add the thyme, bay leaves, redcurrant jelly, and vinegar. Stir until the jelly disappears.
5. Bake until sticky: Lid on, then into the oven for 2 hours, until the beef is tender and the sauce clings glossy. Give it another 20-30 minutes if the shin still resists a spoon.
6. Serve it Belgian: Serve with chips or roasted root vegetables, straight from the official recommendation.

FAQs

What is carbonades flamandes?

It’s Flanders’ national stew, beef slow-cooked in dark beer the way the French do theirs in wine, balanced sweet and sour rather than purely rich. The jelly and vinegar in this version carry that balance, standing in for the brown sugar and bread of older Belgian recipes.

The comparison worth making is their beef bourguignon, since the two dishes are cousins separated by a border and a drinks cabinet.

Why is shin the right beef for this stew?

Because the official recipe promises glutinous, and only a collagen-heavy cut can deliver that word. Shin’s working-muscle connective tissue melts across the 2 hours into a sauce with genuine body and shine.

The Bikers rate the cut enough to build their Chinese beef curry on it too, which builds its takeaway-style curry on the very same cut.

What beer should I use for carbonades flamandes?

Dark brown beer is the brief, so a Belgian brown ale like Leffe Brune or a dubbel sits closest to authentic, while a British brown ale works honestly too. Avoid heavily hopped IPAs, because 2 hours of reduction concentrates their bitterness into harshness.

For the British take on the same beer-and-beef idea, their beef and ale casserole swaps Belgian sweetness for straightforward ale depth.

Can I make shin beef stew in a slow cooker?

Yes, and shin rewards it, though the liquid needs cutting since a slow cooker barely evaporates. Brown the floured beef and the onions in a pan first, then cook on low for 8 hours with one bottle of beer and 150ml of stock.

Stir the jelly and vinegar in for the final half hour, so their sweet-sour brightness survives the long cook. Thicken with a hob simmer if the sauce sits thinner than glossy.

What do you serve with shin beef stew?

The official answer is chips or roasted root vegetables, and the chips are the properly Belgian move, since frites with stewed beef is a national institution there. Mash does the same soaking work if frying feels like too much on a stew night.

Whatever the carbohydrate, keep a spoon involved, because the glossy sauce is the whole point of the 2 hours.