Sam's Beef Bourguignon

Katie Albarado calls this the ultimate comfort food, so filling you'll want a nap after. Bacon first, beef browned in the drippings, then two and a half hours in a low oven.

Ingredients

• 2½ to 3 lbs beef chuck roast, cut into 2-inch chunks
• 6 slices bacon, chopped
• 1 large yellow onion, diced
• 3 carrots, sliced
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 2 tablespoons flour
• 2 cups red wine
• 2 cups beef broth
• 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
• 2 teaspoons fresh thyme, or 1 teaspoon dried
• 2 bay leaves
• 8 oz mushrooms, sliced
• 1½ cups pearl onions, frozen or fresh
• 2 tablespoons butter
• Salt and black pepper
• Fresh parsley, for garnish

Instructions

1. Cook the bacon. Heat a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Cook the bacon until crispy. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside, leaving the grease in the pot.
2. Brown the beef. Pat the beef dry and season generously with salt and pepper. Brown in batches in the bacon grease, making sure not to crowd the pot. Remove and set aside.
3. Cook the vegetables. Add the onions and carrots and cook about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and tomato paste and cook another minute.
4. Build the sauce. Sprinkle the flour over the vegetables and stir for 1 minute. Slowly pour in the red wine, scraping up all the browned bits from the bottom of the pot.
5. Simmer. Add the beef and bacon back to the pot. Pour in the beef broth and Worcestershire. Add the thyme and bay leaves. The liquid should almost cover the beef.
6. Slow cook. Bring to a gentle simmer, then cover and place in a 325°F oven for 2 to 2½ hours, until the beef is very tender.
7. Cook the mushrooms and pearl onions. About 30 minutes before serving, sauté the mushrooms and pearl onions in butter until browned. Add them to the Dutch oven and continue cooking uncovered.
8. Finish. Remove the bay leaves and thyme stems. Taste and adjust the salt and pepper. If the sauce is too thin, simmer uncovered on the stovetop a few minutes.
9. Serve. Garnish with fresh parsley and serve over mashed potatoes, egg noodles, or crusty French bread.

Recipe Notes

• Make ahead: this is even better the next day. Refrigerate overnight and gently reheat before serving.
• From Katie: so filling you'll want to take a nap after.