Beef Hachee

Cut the beef into roughly 3 cm cubes, pat dry, and season with salt and black pepper. Slice the onions into half-rings.

Melt half the butter in a heavy pot. Sear half the meat over medium-high heat for about 3 minutes, turning, until browned on all sides; transfer to a plate and repeat with the remaining meat and butter.

Return all the meat to the pot, add the onions, and cook over low heat for 5 minutes, stirring regularly.

Sprinkle the meat and onions with wheat flour and cook for another 3 minutes to remove the raw taste of the flour.

Pour in the beef stock, add the white wine vinegar, sugar, bay leaves, and cloves. Bring to a boil, cover with a lid, and simmer over the lowest heat for about 2.5 hours, stirring occasionally.

Remove the lid and simmer for another 30 minutes to let the gravy thicken and reduce to the desired consistency.

Remove the bay leaves and cloves, taste, and add more salt and black pepper if needed. Serve the hachee hot with mashed potatoes, boiled potatoes, or red cabbage.