Ina Garten's Beef Bourguignon

Ingredients

• 1 tbspgood olive oil
• 8 ozdry cured center cut applewood smoked bacon, diced
• 2.5 lbschuck beef, cut into 1-inch cubes
• to tastekosher salt
• to tastefreshly ground black pepper
• 1 lbcarrots, sliced diagonally into 1-inch chunks
• 2 largeyellow onions, sliced
• 2 tspchopped garlic (2 cloves)
• 0.5 cupCognac
• 1 (750 ml) bottlegood dry red wine (Cote du Rhone or Pinot Noir)
• 1 can (2 cups)beef broth
• 1 tbsptomato paste
• 1 tspfresh thyme leaves (or 1/2 tsp dried)
• 4 tbspunsalted butter, at room temperature, divided
• 3 tbspall-purpose flour
• 1 lbfrozen whole onions
• 1 lbfresh mushrooms, stems discarded, caps thickly sliced
• for servingcountry bread or sourdough, toasted and rubbed with garlic
• 0.5 cupchopped fresh parsley, optional

Method

1. 1Preheat the oven to 250°F.
2. 2Heat the olive oil in a large Dutch oven. Add the bacon and cook over medium heat for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned. Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon to a large plate.
3. 3Dry the beef cubes with paper towels, then sprinkle with salt and pepper. In batches in single layers, sear the beef in the hot oil for 3 to 5 minutes, turning to brown on all sides. Remove to the plate with the bacon and continue searing until all the beef is browned. Set aside.
4. 4Toss the carrots and onions with 1 tablespoon of salt and 2 teaspoons of pepper in the fat remaining in the pan. Cook for 10 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onions are lightly browned. Add the garlic and cook for 1 more minute. Add the Cognac, stand back, and ignite with a match to burn off the alcohol.
5. 5Put the meat and bacon back into the pot with the juices. Add the bottle of wine plus enough beef broth to almost cover the meat. Add the tomato paste and thyme. Bring to a simmer, cover with a tight-fitting lid and place in the oven for about 1¼ hours, or until the meat and vegetables are very tender when pierced with a fork.
6. 6Combine 2 tablespoons of butter and the flour with a fork and stir into the stew. Add the frozen onions. Sauté the mushrooms in 2 tablespoons of butter for 10 minutes until lightly browned, then add to the stew. Bring the stew to a boil on top of the stove, then lower the heat and simmer for 15 minutes. Season to taste.
7. 7To serve, toast the bread in the toaster or oven. Rub each slice on 1 side with a cut clove of garlic. For each serving, spoon the stew over a slice of bread and sprinkle with parsley.