1️⃣ Season the beef – Start by patting the beef dry with paper towels, then give it a good sprinkle of salt and pepper.

2️⃣ Brown the beef – Heat about a tablespoon of oil in a large, heavy pot or skillet over high heat. Add the beef in a single layer (don’t crowd the pan) and sear until it’s deeply browned on all sides, about 4 minutes. Remove the beef and repeat with the remaining pieces, adding a little more oil if needed.

3️⃣ Let the pan cool slightly, then return it to the stove. Melt in half the butter and sauté the onion for 3 minutes and then add garlic for the last 30 seconds.

4️⃣ Build the base – Sprinkle the flour over the onions and stir well. Mix in the mustard. It’ll look a little pasty at this stage, but that’s exactly what you want.

5️⃣ Add liquid – Slowly pour in half of the water while stirring to dissolve the flour mixture into the liquid—it will thicken quickly into a gravy-like sauce. Whisk if needed to smooth it out. Add the rest of the water along with the beef base, stir well, and scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Bring it to a gentle simmer.

6️⃣ Simmer the beef – Add the seared beef back to the pot, cover with a lid, and reduce the heat to low so it bubbles gently. Let it simmer for about 2 hours, until the beef is fork-tender and falling apart. Serve over noodles!