Carbonade

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /ˈkæɹbɒneɪd/

Definitions

1. A savory preparation of meat, usually beef, cooked slowly with vegetables and a flavorful sauce to create a hearty dish
2. An elaborate cooking method that involves braising meat with herbs and vegetables to yield a rich and satisfying meal
3. A traditional dish consisting of meat, often beef, that is braised with a variety of vegetables and sauces to enhance its flavor profile

Etymology: Carbonade has a close relative that took a very different road into English. The French "carbonnade" describes meat grilled over hot coals, and it shares its root with "carbonado," the word English borrowed for a broiled or grilled cut of meat. The two forms are doublets: the same source word that entered the language twice, once through each route, and ended up with two separate meanings. Carbonado kept the sense of meat cooked over charcoal, while carbonade came to name a dish of a different kind. Through French, the word moved from grilling to braising. In Flemish and northern French cooking, the dish that bears the name is a beef stew simmered slowly in beer, often with onions and sometimes spiced bread or mustard. The French term picked up that sense of cooking meat in a rich liquid, so the English word now refers to a slow-cooked stew rather than anything touched by flame.