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1
Melt the butter over medium heat in a large heavy pot or Dutch oven.
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2
Add half of the meat in a single layer and cook for 3 to 4 minutes on each side, until browned.
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3
Transfer to a plate and brown the remaining pieces.
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4
Return all the meat to the pot, sprinkle with salt, pepper, and flour, and stir to coat.
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5
Add the onions and stir; the pot will seem quite full.
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6
Cook for 5 minutes, stirring regularly to avoid colouring.
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7
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).
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8
Pour in the beer and an additional cup of water, stir, and bring to a simmer.
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9
Add the sugar, thyme, bay leaves, and cloves, and stir.
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10
Lower the heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer for 2 1/2 hours, stirring every once in a while.
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11
An hour into the cooking, spread each slice of bread with a tablespoon of mustard and place at the surface of the stew.
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12
The bread will soon be moistened by the steam inside the pot and will fall apart as you stir, giving body to the sauce.
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13
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.
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14
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.
