Beer-Braised Beef & Lentil Bowl

Prep Cut beef into 3cm cubes. Toss with salt and pepper. Thinly slice 1 onion into half-moons for the stoofvlees. Slice the second onion into thin rings for frying. Mince 3 garlic cloves for the braise and 4 garlic cloves for the koshari sauce. Dice the tomato.

Sear Heat 2 tbsp neutral oil in a heavy lidded pot over high heat 2 minutes. Add beef in a single layer and sear 4 minutes turning once, until both sides are deep mahogany. Lift beef to a plate.

Build 1 Reduce heat to medium. Add sliced onion to the pot and cook 5 minutes until edges char and onion turns deep gold. Stir in braise garlic, 1 tbsp tomato paste, and brown sugar 60 seconds until fragrant.

Simmer Return beef to the pot. Pour in dubbel beer, beef stock, Dijon, bay leaf, and thyme. Bring to a boil over high, then reduce to lowest heat, cover, and braise 35 minutes until beef is fork-tender and the sauce reduces to a glossy gravy.

Build 2 Rinse lentils. Bring 400ml water to a boil in a small pot, add lentils, and simmer uncovered 18 minutes until tender but holding shape. In a separate pot, cook rice in 120ml salted water covered over lowest heat 15 minutes. In a third small pot, boil macaroni 7 minutes and drain.

Fry Heat 2 tbsp oil in a small skillet over medium-high 60 seconds. Add onion rings and fry 6 minutes turning often, until deep mahogany and crisp. Drain on paper towels and salt lightly. In the same pan with 1 tbsp residual oil, add koshari garlic, tomato, 2 tbsp tomato paste, cumin, coriander, and red pepper flakes over medium 90 seconds. Pour in 120ml water and vinegar and simmer 4 minutes until sauce thickens.

Plate Layer lentils, rice, and macaroni in a wide bowl. Ladle stoofvlees beef and its gravy over half the grain layer. Spoon koshari tomato-vinegar sauce across the rest. Crown with crispy fried onions and serve while everything is hot.