Traditional Flemish Carbonnade

Cut the beef into 2 to 3 cm cubes, roughly chop the onions, and slice the smoked bacon into thick batons.

Melt the butter in a large casserole pot over low heat, add the onions, cover, and sweat for 10 minutes until softened.

Increase the heat slightly, add the bacon, and stir regularly while keeping the pot covered as much as possible.

Remove the bacon and onions from the pot once the bacon turns pink, leaving the rendered fat and juices inside, and set them aside in a dish.

Turn the heat to high, add the beef cubes to the pot, and sear uncovered, stirring regularly until browned on all sides and juices release.

Remove the beef from the pot and set aside with the bacon and onions, keeping the released juices in the pot.

Dissolve the brown sugar into the remaining pan juices and reduce the liquid by half over high heat.

Lower the heat to minimum, stir the bacon and onion mixture back into the reduced syrup, reincorporate the beef, add the bouquet garni, pour in the brown ale, and season lightly with sea salt.

Spread mustard generously over the gingerbread slices and lay them mustard-side down completely covering the surface of the liquid.

Cover and simmer gently for 3 hours without stirring to allow the gingerbread to melt entirely, removing the bouquet garni after 1 to 2 hours.

Taste and adjust the seasoning during cooking, leaving the lid partially open at the end if the sauce needs further reduction to become slightly sticky.