Simple Beef Bourguignon

I saw this recipe on a popular t.v. show and tried it; it turned out very well and was surprisingly simple to make! Pair with a salad for a homemade French experience!

• Ready In: 1 hr 15 mins
• Serves: 6
• Yields: 1 Big Pot

Ingredients

• 1  tablespoon olive oil
• 8  ounces  dry cured center cut  apple-smoked bacon, diced
• 2 1⁄2 lbs beef chuck, cut into 1-inch cubes
•  kosher salt
•  fresh ground black pepper
• 1  lb carrot, sliced diagonally into 1-inch chunks
• 2  yellow onions, sliced
• 2  teaspoons  chopped garlic (2 cloves)
• 1⁄2 cup cognac
• 1 (750 ml) bottle dry red wine, such as cote du rhone or 1 (750 ml) bottle  pinot noir wine
• 1 (2 cup) can beef broth
• 1  tablespoon tomato paste
• 1  teaspoon fresh thyme leave (1/2 teaspoon dried)
• 4  tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature divided
• 3  tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1  lb  frozen small whole onions
• 1  lb  fresh mushroom, stems discarded caps thickly sliced
•  country bread or   sourdough bread, toasted or   grilled and rubbed with garlic clove
• 1⁄2 cup  chopped fresh parsley (optional)

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 250 degrees F.
2. Heat the olive oil in a large Dutch oven. Add the bacon and cook over medium heat for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the bacon is lightly browned. Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon to a large plate.
3. Dry the beef cubes with paper towels and then sprinkle them 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 the seared cubes to the plate with the bacon and continue searing until all the beef is browned. Set aside.
4. Toss the carrots, and onions, 1 tablespoon of salt and 2 teaspoons of pepper in the fat in the pan and 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. Put 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 the pot with a tight-fitting lid and place it in the oven for about 1 1/4 hours or until the meat and vegetables are very tender when pierced with a fork.
5. Combine 2 tablespoons of butter and the flour with a fork and stir into the stew. Add the frozen onions. Saute the mushrooms in 2 tablespoons of butter for 10 minutes until lightly browned and 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.
6. To 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.