Flemish-Inspired Beef Stew with Beer and Bacon

- 6 ounces thick-cut bacon, roughly chopped
- 2 pounds beef bottom round, cut into 1-inch cubes
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 large onion, finely chopped
- 12 ounces cremini or white button mushrooms, thinly sliced
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 cup beef broth, or more as needed
- One 12-ounce bottle dark Belgian beer
- 1½ tablespoons Dijon mustard
- 2 large carrots, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
- 1 large parsnip, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
- 1 small turnip, peeled and cubed
- 1 teaspoon caraway seeds
- 1 bay leaf
- ½ teaspoon salt, or to taste
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Instructions:
This is a simplified waterzooi, a thick, beer-based stew served in Belgium. For the best taste, use a dark Belgian beer.
- Heat a large Dutch oven or soup pot over medium heat. Add the bacon and fry until crisp, stirring often, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a plate lined with paper towels.
- Add the beef to the pot, working in batches if necessary to prevent crowding. Brown in the bacon fat until each piece has a dark, caramelized crust, turning often, about 6 minutes per batch. Transfer to the plate with the bacon.
- Pour off all the fat in the pot. Add the butter, melt just until the foaming subsides, then add the onion. Cook, stirring often, until softened, about 2 minutes.
- Add the mushrooms. Cook until they release their liquid and soften, stirring often, about 3 minutes.
- Add the garlic, cook for 20 seconds, then sprinkle the flour into the pot. Count to ten, then stir well and cook just until everything’s well coated and the flour starts to brown.
- Stirring constantly, slowly pour in the broth—the constant stirring will help the flour dissolve into the sauce. Stir in the beer and mustard until the foaming subsides. Bring to a simmer, scraping up any browned bits on the pot’s bottom.
- Return the beef and bacon to the pot. Add the carrots, parsnip, turnip, caraway seeds, and bay leaf. Cover, reduce the heat to very low, and simmer very slowly, stirring once in a while, until the beef is fork-tender, about 2 hours.
- Especially during the last 30 minutes of cooking, stir often to make sure the sauce doesn’t stick. If the sauce gets too thick, add more beef broth in ½-cup increments. Set aside, covered, for 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper; discard the bay leaf before serving.
- Variations: When you take the stew off the heat, stir in ¼ cup chopped pitted green olives.
- Omit the parsnip and turnip; use 1 medium celeriac or rutabaga, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes