Stewing beef as it should be
Ask ten people from Flanders how to make stewing beef and you will get eleven answers. One swears by Rodenbach, another by dark beer, and every family has its own secret ingredient in the pot. What always comes back: a good broth, a slow cooking time, and patience. Because stewing beef is not a dish you rush — it is a dish you let develop. (read more below the video)
At home, we make it halal, using our own bone broth and alcohol-free brown beer. The result is tender, dark, and packed with flavor — perfect with fries, croquettes, or simple mashed potatoes.
Why use HANT bone broth and beef tallow?
Our bone broth is slow-cooked for 32 hours from halal beef bones. For stewing beef, that makes all the difference: the natural gelatin gives your sauce that characteristic glossy, velvety texture that you would otherwise only get by reducing it for hours. No thickener, no stock cubes — just pure flavor.
The beef tallow enhances the meaty base and helps the sauce cling to the meat instead of separating.
Ingredients (serves 4)
- 2 large onions, roughly chopped
- 1 knob of butter (for stewing the onions)
- 1 kg stewing beef, cubed
- Pepper and a pinch of salt
- 2 bottles of alcohol-free brown beer
- 4 to 6 tbsp HANT bone broth
- 1 tsp HANT beef tallow
- 2 slices of bread
- 1 tbsp Dijon mustard (for one sandwich)
- 2 tbsp Liège syrup (for the other sandwich)
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 sprigs of thyme
- 1 clove
Preparation
- Stew the onions in a knob of butter until translucent — do not let them brown.
- Sear the stewing beef briefly over high heat in a separate pan, seasoning with pepper and a pinch of salt.
- Deglaze the pan in which you seared the meat with the two bottles of alcohol-free brown beer—loosen the browned bits with a wooden spoon and pour everything into the onions.
- Add the bone broth and marrow fat.
- Spread one slice of bread with Dijon mustard and a second slice with Liège syrup. Place them side by side in the pot, spread side down.
- Add the bay leaf, thyme, and cloves.
- Waiting for the heat — cook everything over low heat with the lid half open. Let it simmer for 3 to 5 hours until the meat almost falls apart.
- Want a thicker sauce? Let it reduce without the lid for the final half hour.
- Want it more liquid? Leave the lid on and, if necessary, add a little extra stock.
Tips & variations
- With bacon — in step 1, add some finely chopped halal beef bacon to the onions for extra depth.
- Wine version — replace the beer with alcohol-free red wine for a rounder, fruitier sauce.
- For the next day — beef stew tastes even better after a night in the refrigerator. Feel free to make it a day ahead.
- For children — leave out the mustard and use a little extra Liège syrup for a sweeter version.
Serve with
Classic with fries and mayonnaise. Just as delicious with smooth mashed potatoes, croquettes, or simply a thick slice of dark bread to mop up the sauce.
Storage
Beef stew keeps for 3 to 4 days in the refrigerator in a sealed container. It can be frozen without any problem—divide it into portions so you always have a homecoming meal ready.
Did you make it?
Tag us on Instagram @hant.be or send your photo to hello@hant.be — we’d love to see it.