Beef Bourguignon

1. Preheat the oven to 275 degrees. Cut bacon into small chunks. In a medium sized dutch oven, sauté the bacon until crispy. Set aside. Cube the beef in approximately 1 1/2-2 inch cubes. Pat beef dry and in the same pan you sautéed the bacon, sear all sides of the beef. Set aside.
2. In the same dutch oven (don’t wipe it out, that flavor is AMAZING) cook your diced onion, garlic, and carrots until the onion becomes slightly transparent and aromatic.
3. Return the beef and bacon back to the dutch oven. Add the tomato paste and cook over medium heat for approximately 3 minutes, until the paste is slightly caramelized. Once the tomato paste has caramelized, add the flour to the pan and stir well. Continue to cook over medium-low heat for approximately 4 minutes to cook off any sort of raw flour taste.
4. Add the wine to the pan and stir over medium heat for approximately 6 minutes (note, it will still smell like alcohol, but don’t worry! You’re cooking it in the oven for so long it will have more than enough time to cook off). Add the beef broth and fully incorporate. Add all spices, thyme sprigs, and bay leaves, cover and put it in the oven.
5. Cook in the oven for approximately 4-5 hours, or until the beef is fall off the fork tender. Serve over mashed potatoes.

Pro tip: this dish is even better the next day! It also freezes very well, so don’t hesitate to make a big batch and freeze it for later use on a busy night.