Boeuf Bourguignon

Ingredients

3 lbs. boneless beef chuck or stew meat, trimmed of fat, cut into 1.5” pieces
8 oz. bacon chopped coarsely
1/3 cup flour
3/4 lb. carrots, peeled, cut into 1” pieces
12 garlic cloves, peeled, left whole
3 cups beef broth
1/2 cup cognac or brandy
2 bottles red wine (a decent Burgundy, or Tofanelli Zinfandel!)
1 Tbs. tomato paste
1 Tbs. brown sugar
1/3 cup fresh thyme chopped, or 2 Tbs. dried thyme
2 Tbs. butter
1.5 lbs. white mushrooms, quartered
1.5 lbs. cippolini or small white boiling onions, peeled and left whole
1/4 cup chopped parsley

Directions

Preheat your oven to 325 degrees. In a large, ovenproof pot, sauté bacon until it's brown and crisp. Then, transfer it to a large bowl leaving the bacon fat in the pot. On a platter, sprinkle beef pieces with salt & pepper, and coat with flour on all sides. Brown the beef in the same pot over high heat in 2-3 batches. Transfer beef to the bowl with bacon. Add carrots to the pot and sauté until lightly brown, then add garlic cloves and sauté 1 minute. Transfer carrots and garlic to bowl with beef. 

Add 1 cup beef broth and cognac to the pot, scrape up browned bits and boil until reduced to a glaze, about 8 minutes. Return contents of bowl, with juices, to the pot. Add wine, tomato paste, sugar, thyme and remaining 2 cups broth to the pot. Bring to a boil stirring well; cover pot and place in oven. Cook for 1.5-2 hours, until beef, is tender. 

In a large skillet, melt butter and gently sauté onions until light brown. Then add mushroom quarters and sauté until light brown. Add salt and pepper lightly. Transfer pot from oven to stovetop and add onions and mushrooms. Simmer on low until well combined. At this point, cool and refrigerate until the following day, if possible. Return to stovetop, season to taste with salt & pepper while warming gently, then serve. Delicious with boiled small potatoes or pasta, sprinkled with chopped parsley.