Beef Carbonnade

As a general rule, I don't cook a lot of meat focused dishes. Mostly we rely on plant proteins and supplement with highly flavored meats like bacon or sausage as seasoning. There are a number of reasons for this, but at this point it is mainly just habit. However, I like to think that when I do decide to cook meat that I do an exemplary job of it. I'm proud of my brisket recipe and my chicken noodle soup. I'm currently working on refining a recipe for Beef Carbonnade. I tried it out last week and it was so good that we blasted through the whole thing in a couple of days.

2 Tablespoons olive oil
2 - 2.5 pounds beef chuck roast, in 1-inch chunks
2 pounds Yukon Gold Potatoes, in 1/2 inch chunks
1-1.5 pounds mushrooms, chopped
1.5 cups dark beer (guinness)
1 teaspoon dried thyme
3 cups water or stock
1 cup frozen peas
1-3 Tablespoons dijon mustard

Brown the beef in the olive oil in a large pot. sprinkle with salt and pepper. (8-10 minutes)

Add thyme, potatoes, mushrooms, beer, and water. Bring to a boil then adjust the temperature so that it bubble steadily but gently.

Cover and cook, stirring occasionally. Add more water if it gets dry. Simmer until beef and veggies get tender: about 30-45 minutes.

When tender add the peas and cook until warmed through. Mix in up to 3 Tablespoons dijon mustard. Taste and adjust the seasoning.