Dutch Hachee (Slow-Braised Beef and Onion Stew)

About This Recipe

Dutch Hachee is a real, traditional Dutch dish, known as Slow-Braised Beef and Onion Stew. Beef chunks slow-braised with a mountain of onions, bay leaves and vinegar until deeply savory and sweet.\n\nHachee developed as a Dutch home-cooking method for using tougher, more affordable cuts of beef, historically simmered for hours over low heat to tenderize the meat while a generous quantity of onions caramelized into the sauce's backbone.\n\nThe result is a dish worth making on its own merits: it rewards patience with the technique and delivers real, specific flavor rooted in Dutch home cooking, not a generic stand-in for a search term.

Ingredients

Serves 6

• 800 gbeef chuck(cubed)
• 4 tbspbutter
• 1 kgyellow onions(thinly sliced)
• 3 tbspall-purpose flour
• 3 tbspred wine vinegar
• 2bay leaves
• 4whole cloves
• 600 mlbeef stock
• 1 tspfine sea salt(to taste)
• 0.25 tspblack pepper

Instructions

1. 1

   Brown the beef

   Melt half the butter in a heavy pot and brown the beef cubes in batches over high heat; set aside.

2. 2

   Caramelize the onions

   Add remaining butter and the sliced onions to the pot, cooking over medium-low heat for 25 minutes, stirring occasionally, until deeply golden and soft.

3. 3

   Add flour

   Stir in the flour and cook for 1 minute.

4. 4

   Build the braise

   Return the beef to the pot, add vinegar, bay leaves, cloves and stock. Bring to a simmer.

5. 5

   Braise long

   Cover and simmer gently for 2 hours, stirring occasionally, until the beef is fork-tender and the sauce is thick and deeply flavored.

6. 6

   Finish

   Remove bay leaves and cloves, season with salt and pepper, and serve hot with boiled potatoes or stamppot.

Variations

• •

  Some households add a splash of dark beer instead of part of the stock for extra depth.

• •

  A version with apple slices added in the last 30 minutes introduces a subtle sweetness.

• •

  Serve over egg noodles instead of potatoes for a different presentation.

Storage

Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Reheat gently on the stovetop or in the microwave with a splash of water or stock to loosen the texture.

Frequently Asked Questions