Midweek Meals: Beef carbonnade

There are certain meals that just taste like mom's home cookin'. Oh wait! This was my mom's cooking. Stopping home for a quick dinner after voting, my mom presented me with this dish: beef braised with bacon and served over a bed of egg noodles. I couldn't resist myself, I had to have seconds. The aroma of the beef and bacon permeated the house, which created an instant sense of comfort and nostalgia.

While I know this isn't the type of dish you want to start making when you come home from a hard day at work, it's perfect for a Saturday or Sunday meal- there will be plenty leftover. Reheat mid-week, boil up a new batch of egg noodles and relax.

• 2 bacon slices, finely diced
• 2 1/2 pounds boned chuck roast, cut into 1-inch cubes
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 5 cups thinly sliced onion (about 4 medium)
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons white wine vinegar
• 1/2 teaspoon sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 (10 1/2-ounce) can beef broth
• 1 (12-ounce) can light beer
• 1 bay leaf
• 6 cups cooked medium egg noodles (about 1 (12-ounce) package)

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.

Cook bacon slices in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat until crisp; remove bacon with a slotted spoon, reserving drippings in pan. Set bacon aside. Add beef, salt, and pepper to drippings in pan; cook 5 minutes, browning beef well on all sides. Add garlic; cook 30 seconds. Remove beef from pan with a slotted spoon; set aside.

Add sliced onion to pan; cover and cook over medium heat 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in flour, and cook 2 minutes. Add vinegar and the next 5 ingredients (vinegar through bay leaf), and bring to a boil. Return bacon and beef to pan. Cover and bake at 325° for 2 hours or until beef is tender, and discard the bay leaf. Serve over noodles. Serves 4.

From Cooking Light Magazine, March 2000