Halal-conscious recipe
Carbonnade without beer
A Belgian-style slow-cooked stew of Halal stewing beef with carrots, onions, leek and a bouquet garni, made with extra Halal beef stock instead of Trappist ale and Halal beef bacon instead of pancetta.
Each method follows published technique for the dish, and every Halal substitution is checked against the ingredient pages we cite. Photographs come from our ingredient library rather than the finished dish.
Photo: Halima Waziri · CC BY-SA 4.0
Why Halal checks matter here
Carbonnade flamande is beef marinated and braised in 400 ml of Trappist or dark ale, with diced pork pancetta fried in the pot, and the beef and stock need Halal sources.
Carbonnade flamande is Belgian beef braised in beer: the source marinates the meat overnight in 400 ml of Trappist or dark ale and then cooks it in that liquid. Beer is an intoxicant, and this site does not treat it as Halal when cooked, so this version uses the same amount of extra stock. The ale is what gives the source its flavour, so expect a plainer, beefier sauce.
It follows the Good Food team's carbonnade for BBC Good Food. The source also fries 250 g of pancetta, which is cured pork like bacon; use Halal beef bacon or smoked Halal beef instead. Start with Halal beef and a Halal or vegetable stock (see stock cubes), since stock is now all of the braising liquid.
The beef browns in batches, then braises covered in a low oven for 2 hours.
Halal-critical ingredients
- Trappist ale The published recipe marinates and braises the beef in 400 ml of Trappist or dark ale. Beer is an intoxicating drink, and this site does not treat it as Halal when cooked. Use the same amount of extra Halal or vegetable stock, as here. See Beer.
- Pancetta The published recipe fries 250 g of diced pancetta, which is cured pork. Beef bacon is Halal only from Halal-slaughtered animals with certification. Use Halal-certified beef bacon or smoked Halal beef. See Bacon.
- Stewing beef Cattle are a Halal species, but beef is only Halal when slaughtered to Islamic rules, and ordinary retail beef carries no proof of how it was slaughtered. Buy from a Halal butcher or in a certified pack. See Beef.
- Beef stock UK beef stock cubes such as OXO and Knorr contain beef fat that is not certified Halal, and stock now makes up all of the braising liquid. Use a Halal-certified beef stock or a vegan vegetable stock. See Stock cubes.
Safe substitutes
- 400 ml Trappist or dark ale → 400 ml extra Halal or vegetable stock
- 250 g diced pancetta → 250 g Halal beef bacon or smoked Halal beef
Allergens
gluten (flour)
Ingredients
Stew
- 1¼ kg Halal stewing beef, in 4 cm cubes
- 400 ml Halal beef stock or vegetable stock, for marinating (instead of 400 ml Trappist ale)
- 3 garlic cloves, lightly crushed
- 2 bay leaves
- 3 tbsp plain flour, seasoned with salt and pepper
- 2–3 tbsp olive oil
- 250 g Halal beef bacon or smoked Halal beef, diced (instead of pancetta)
- 2 carrots, sliced
- 2 onions, sliced
- 1 leek, sliced
- 1 tbsp tomato purée
- 350 ml Halal beef stock or vegetable stock
- 1 bouquet garni (thyme, parsley stalks, a bay leaf and about 6 peppercorns tied in muslin)
- a handful parsley, chopped
Method
- Marinate. Put the Halal beef in the 400 ml of stock with the garlic and bay leaves and leave overnight in the fridge. The next day, drain the beef, keeping the liquid. Pat the meat dry and toss it in the seasoned flour, shaking off the excess.
- Brown the beef. Heat 2 tbsp of the oil in a large flameproof casserole until hot. Fry the beef in 3 to 4 batches for about 5 minutes per batch until rich golden brown all over, adding a little oil between batches if needed and letting it get hot again. Set the meat aside.
- Fry the beef bacon. Lower the heat to medium and fry the Halal beef bacon for 6 to 8 minutes until crisp and golden. Lift it out and set aside with the beef.
- Brown the vegetables. Heat the oven to 160C/fan 140C/gas 3. Fry the carrots, onions and leek in the casserole for about 12 minutes until they start to brown, then stir in the tomato purée for 2 minutes.
- Braise. Add the beef and bacon, pour in the reserved marinating stock and bring to a simmer, scraping the bottom of the pan. Add the 350 ml stock and the bouquet garni, season and bring to the boil. Cover and cook in the oven for 2 hours, stirring once halfway through.
- Serve. Taste for seasoning, scatter with parsley and serve from the casserole with mash or jacket potatoes and greens. It freezes for up to a month; add a little more stock when reheating.
How this recipe was researched
Method adapted from BBC Good Food's 'Carbonnade flamande' by the Good Food team (serves 4: 1¼ kg stewing beef in 4 cm cubes marinated overnight in 400 ml Trappist ale such as Leffe or Chimay with garlic and bay; drained, tossed in 3 tbsp seasoned flour and browned in batches about 5 minutes each; 250 g diced pancetta fried 6 to 8 minutes; carrots, onions and leek browned about 12 minutes; 1 tbsp tomato purée for 2 minutes; the beef, the marinade, 350 ml beef stock and a bouquet garni brought to the boil; covered in the oven at 160C/fan 140C/gas 3 for 2 hours, stirred halfway; parsley). We specified Halal beef and a Halal or vegetable stock, replaced the ale with the same amount of extra stock (in which the beef marinates with the garlic and bay), and replaced the pancetta with Halal beef bacon or smoked Halal beef. The ale gives the source its flavour, so this version will not taste of it. Timings follow the published technique rather than a kitchen test.
Technique and ingredient sources
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Carbonnade flamande — BBC Good Food
Retrieved:
By the Good Food team. Serves 4, prep 1 hour 15 minutes plus overnight marinating, cook 2 hours: 1¼ kg stewing beef marinated in 400 ml Trappist ale, floured and browned; 250 g pancetta; carrots, onions, leek and tomato purée; 350 ml beef stock and a bouquet garni; covered at 160C/fan 140C/gas 3 for 2 hours. We replaced the ale and the pancetta.
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Beer analysis — isithalal.food
Retrieved:
Why beer is Haram as an intoxicant, and where alcohol-free beer is covered separately.