BOEUF A LA BOURGUIGNON

Marinade:
3 cups dry red wine
2 cups beef stock or canned broth
1/4 cup Marc de Bourgogne or good-quality brandy
1 large onion, chopped
2 small carrots, chopped
4 garlic cloves, sliced
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon dried rosemary
10 peppercorns
12 parsley stems
4 whole cloves
4 allspice berries
1 bay leaf

3 pounds beef chuck, cut into 2-inch pieces
Salt and pepper
1/4 pound slab bacon (rind removed and reserved) sliced lengthwise 1/4-inch thick, crosswise into pieces 1/2-inch wide
2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon oil
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 pound pearl onions
4 tablespoon butter
Pinch of sugar
1 pound button mushrooms
Beurre Manié (equal parts flour and softened butter, mixed together, about 1 tablespoon each)

In a large bowl combine marinade ingredients and beef. Chill, covered, overnight. Drain beef, reserving marinade and vegetables separately; pat beef dry and season with salt and pepper. Preheat oven to 275°F. Cover bacon and rind with cold water, bring to a boil and simmer 3 minutes. Drain. In a large casserole set over moderate heat cook bacon lardons in butter and oil, stirring often, until golden. With a slotted spoon transfer lardons to paper towels to drain. In casserole over moderately high heat brown beef in bacon fat, in batches. Pour off all but 1 tablespoon of fat from casserole. Add reserved vegetable mixture and cook, stirring, for 5 minutes. Add reserved marinade liquid, tomato paste, reserved bacon rind and salt and pepper, bring liquid to a boil and cook in oven, covered, 3 hours. Skim fat from stew and drain meat and vegetables, reserving cooking liquid. Return liquid and meat to casserole. Meanwhile make vegetable garnish: In a skillet cover onions with water, add 1 tablespoon of butter, sugar and salt and pepper to taste. Simmer onions until almost tender. Raise heat to high and reduce cooking liquid to 2 tablespoons. Continue to cook onions, shaking pan over heat, until golden brown and glazed. In a skillet set over moderately high heat, melt remaining butter and add mushrooms and salt and pepper to taste. Cook mushrooms, tossing often, for 7 minutes, or until firm. Add the onions and mushrooms to the casserole. Bring liquid in casserole to a simmer and add enough Beurre Manie, bit by bit, stirring constantly, to lightly thicken sauce. To serve: spoon meat and vegetables into shallow serving dishes.

Yield: 6 servings
Prep Time: 9 hours 0 minutes
Cooking Time: 3 hours 30 minutes