Carbonade

Carbonade is the great winter dish of the Aosta Valley. It is a beef stew cooked slowly in red wine, with plenty of onions and a few spices.

Meat that was once preserved

In the past, carbonade was made with beef preserved in salt with herbs and spices. This kept the meat through the whole winter. Today fresh meat is mostly used.

Method

Cut the beef into pieces, flour them and brown them in butter. Add a large quantity of sliced onions and let them soften. Then pour in red wine, season with cinnamon, cloves, bay leaf, salt and pepper, and simmer gently until the meat is very tender.

Serving

Carbonade is almost always served with polenta. For the wine, choose a red from the valley.

Main photo: carbonade served at the Chez Pierina restaurant in Chamois. Personal photo by Marc Badjou.