1-Cut and marinate the beef (first step): Cut beef into 1-inch cubes. Mix beef with the marinade ingredients, including 1 small minced onion, 4 cloves minced garlic, 1 sprig fresh rosemary, dried thyme, three paprikas (sweet, smoked, hot), coarse mustard, and red or white wine vinegar. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight.

2-Prep before cooking (second step): Remove beef from the fridge about 20 minutes before cooking. Discard the rosemary sprig from the marinade. Coat the beef with 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour right before browning.

3-Brown the beef (third step): In a Dutch oven, brown beef in batches using 2 tablespoons flavorless cooking oil (divided). Browning matters for depth. As an optional time-saver, if you enjoy pairing stews with potatoes, you might also like this steak frites guide for serving ideas.

4-Sauté the base and deglaze (fourth step): Sauté 1 large diced onion in the pot. Deglaze with 1 bottle (12 ounces) Belgian brown ale, scraping up the browned bits stuck to the bottom. Those bits are flavor, so take your time here.

5-Build the stew (fifth step): Return browned beef to the pot with 1 cup beef broth, 1 cup water, 2 dried bay leaves, 1 tablespoon brown sugar, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper. Bring to a boil.

6-Simmer low and slow (sixth step): Cover, reduce to low heat, and simmer for 4-5 hours. Stir every 45 minutes to prevent sticking. If the stew seems too thick, add water as needed and scrape the pot bottom.

7-Cook the carrots separately (seventh step): While the stew simmers, separately sauté 1 large carrot with 1 minced garlic clove, chopped 1/2 sprig rosemary, and 1/4 teaspoon olive oil. Season with salt and pepper.

8-Finish with carrots and mustard (final step): Add the sautéed carrots to the stew along with 1 teaspoon coarse mustard. Cook uncovered for 1 more hour so the sauce finishes thickening and the flavors settle. Serve with crusty bread, Belgian fries, or roasted potatoes.