Stoofvlees, or stoverij, is Belgian comfort food: beef that turns tender over hours in beer, with onion, mustard and a slice of bread. We leave out the onion. Leek greens, proper browning and a long simmer give the deep flavour. And the beer? We have good news about that. Smakelijk! (Flemish for: enjoy your meal)

Please note: this article is general information, not personal medical advice. If you have gut symptoms, talk to your GP or a FODMAP-trained dietitian.

Ingredients

  • 1000 g stewing beef, e.g. chuck or blade (in 4 cm chunks)
  • 28 g butter (2 tbsp)
  • 28 g garlic-infused oil (2 tbsp)
  • 80 g leek greens (green part of 1 leek, sliced)
  • 330 ml dark Belgian beer, brown or dubbel, no fruit beer (approx. 330 g; 1 bottle)
  • 250 ml low-FODMAP beef stock (approx. 250 g)
  • 35 g spelt sourdough bread (1 slice)
  • 30 g mustard (2 tbsp)
  • 12 g brown sugar (1 tbsp)
  • 15 ml red wine vinegar (approx. 15 g; 1 tbsp)
  • 0.5 g bay leaves (2)
  • 2 g fresh thyme (4 sprigs)
  • 6 g salt, for the meat and potato water (1 tsp, to taste)
  • 1 g black pepper, ground (½ tsp, to taste)
  • 800 g potatoes (to serve)
  • 2000 ml water, for the potatoes (approx. 2 kg)

Method

  1. Brown. Pat the meat dry and season with some of the salt and the pepper. Heat the butter and 14 g garlic-infused oil (1 tbsp) in a casserole over high heat. Brown the meat in 3 or 4 batches, 4 to 5 minutes each, until dark brown all over. Take it out of the pan.
  2. Leek greens. Turn the heat to medium-high and fry the leek greens in the remaining 14 g garlic-infused oil (1 tbsp) for 2 minutes.
  3. Deglaze. Return the meat to the pan. Pour in the beer and stock, bring to the boil and scrape up the browned bits. Add the bay leaves, thyme, brown sugar and vinegar.
  4. Mustard bread. Spread the slice of bread thickly with the mustard and lay it mustard side down on top of the meat.
  5. Stew. With the lid ajar, simmer very gently over low heat for 2.5 to 3 hours, until the meat falls apart. Stir now and then and add a splash of water if it gets too dry. Stir the bread into the sauce to thicken it.
  6. Boil the potatoes. In the last 30 minutes, peel the potatoes and cut them into even pieces. Boil them in 2 litres of water with the rest of the salt for 20 to 25 minutes until tender, then drain.
  7. Serve. Remove the bay leaves and thyme stalks from the stew, taste and season. Serve with the potatoes (200 g per person).

FODMAP check

Beer — Low FODMAP

Monash lists beer as low FODMAP in a normal serve per sitting (via The FODMAP Formula). Here it is about 80 ml per person. Monash tested 'beer' in general; we don't know whether every dark Belgian beer scores the same. We have not checked fruit beers such as kriek, so we leave them out. Beer contains gluten: not suitable for coeliac disease.

Alcohol — Uncertain

Alcohol can irritate the gut regardless of FODMAPs. Some of it evaporates during stewing, but we have not checked how much remains. Sensitive to alcohol? Replace the beer with extra stock and a splash of vinegar.

Spelt sourdough bread — Uncertain

Traditionally made spelt sourdough bread is often called low FODMAP; we have not been able to confirm this on a Monash page ourselves, so check the Monash app. Here it is 1 slice for 4 people. Gluten-free bread is an alternative. Spelt also contains gluten.

Mustard — Low FODMAP

Mustard is on Monash's low-FODMAP shopping list. Do check the label for onion or garlic.

Stock — Low FODMAP

Many shop-bought stocks contain onion or garlic, Monash warns. Their beef stock is just bones and water, or choose a stock without onion and garlic.

Leek greens and garlic-infused oil — Low FODMAP

Monash names both as flavour builders that replace onion. Use only the green part of the leek.

Potatoes — Low FODMAP

Potato is on Monash's low-FODMAP shopping list, and according to FODMAP Everyday (citing the Monash app) yellow and red potato stays low FODMAP in generous serves too. Here it is 200 g per person.

Apple syrup and speculoos — Avoid

Some recipes use syrup or speculoos biscuits. Speculoos is made from wheat and we could not check the syrup, so we leave both out during the elimination phase.

Editor's tip

Stoofvlees is even better on day two. Make it a day ahead, let it cool and lift off the fat before reheating. That also helps if fatty food bothers you.

Sources