Carbonade — France

Carbonade, sometimes spelled carbonnade, is a name given to meat cooked directly over hot coals rather than a name for one fixed recipe. Sources describe it as a Provençal way of grilling, applied broadly to different cuts and animals, so that people spoke of a lamb carbonade or a ham carbonade depending on what was set over the fire. The term is reported from Provence, in the south of France, where grilling meat directly on embers is described as an established way of cooking outdoors, close to the fire rather than over a raised grate. Over time the word carbonade also came to describe long-simmered stews in other French regions and in Belgium, though the entry here follows the coal-grilled sense reported for Provence. To prepare it in this sense, a bed of wood or charcoal is burned down to glowing embers, and the meat, whether a whole piece such as a ham or smaller cuts such as lamb chops, is laid close to or directly on the coals. It is turned regularly so the surface chars and crisps while the inside cooks through from the steady, intense heat, with little more seasoning than salt, pepper and sometimes a herb rub. The exact cut and cooking time vary with what is being grilled: a leg of lamb needs a longer, more careful placement away from the hottest embers, while thinner cuts of ham or chops can sit closer to direct flame for a shorter time. Some cooks baste the meat with fat or herbs during cooking, and the dish is generally served simply, with bread or vegetables cooked alongside in the same embers.