Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons butter
• 3 1/2 lbs beef
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 2 lbs onions
• 3 cups ale
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• 1 tablespoon thyme
• 2 bay leaves
• 3 cloves
• 2 slices bread
• 2 tablespoons mustard

Instructions

1. Melt the butter over medium heat in a large heavy pot or Dutch oven. Add half of the meat in a single layer and cook for 3 to 4 minutes on each side, until browned. Transfer to a plate and brown the remaining pieces. Return all the meat to the pot, sprinkle with salt, pepper, and flour, and stir to coat. Add the onions and stir; the pot will seem quite full. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring regularly to avoid colouring.

2. Pour in 1 cup warm water and scrape the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon to dissolve the caramelised juices (this is called deglazing). Pour in the beer and an additional cup of water, stir, and bring to a simmer.

3. Add the sugar, thyme, bay leaves, and cloves, and stir. Lower the heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer for 2 1/2 hours, stirring every once in a while. An hour into the cooking, spread each slice of bread with a tablespoon of mustard and place at the surface of the stew. The bread will soon be moistened by the steam inside the pot and will fall apart as you stir, giving body to the sauce.

4. Remove the lid, turn the heat up to medium-high, and cook 20 more minutes, stirring regularly, until the sauce is thick enough to cling to the meat. Serve hot from the pot (fish out the bay leaves before serving, or simply warn your dining companions not to eat them; don't worry about the cloves, they dissolve magically into the stew), with small steamed potatoes.