Boeuf Bourguignon

It's Boeuf Bourguignon, not Boeuf Bourguignonne, no matter what The Joy of Cooking says.

• 3 Tbsp. olive oil
• 2 yellow onions, peeled and sliced or 12 pearl onions, peeled
• 0.5 lb. bacon or salt pork, diced
• 2 lb. lean beef (a shank or shin works really well)
• 1.5 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
• 0.25 tsp. dried marjoram
• 0.25 tsp. dried thyme
• freshly ground black pepper to taste
• 1 cup dry red wine
• 0.5 cup beef broth
• 1 carrot, peeled and roughly chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, peeled and flattened
• 4 peppercorns
• 0.5 bay leaf
• 8 oz. sliced fresh mushrooms

Pre-heat your oven to 300F.

If you're using salt pork, be sure to blanch it first.

Heat the oil in a large, heavy pot (a Dutch oven is best) over medium heat. Add the onions and salt pork or bacon; cook and stir until tender, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a bowl.

You can cut the beef into 1" cubes if you want. Dredge the beef with seasoned flour, then place it in the same pot and brown it for 3–4 minutes on each side.

Heat the wine and broth in a small pan, then sprinkle marjoram, thyme, and pepper over the beef and add the peppercorns, carrot, garlc, and bay leaf. Pour the red wine and beef broth into the pot; give it a quick stir.

Cover the pot and place it in the oven for 2 hours.

Place the onions and bacon on top of the beef in the pot and return it to the oven for another hour. If the liquid level is getting low, heat a little more wine and broth (2 wine to 1 broth) and add it to the pot.

Meanwhile, slice the mushrooms and sauté them in a little butter. Place them on top of the beef for a final 10 minutes cooking.

Serve with mashed potatoes or noodles with a little minced parsley on top, a nice glass of wine, and maybe a green salad on the side.