½ pound bacon, chopped

3 pounds braised pork shoulder or beef

1 teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon pepper

1 onion, chopped

2 carrots, chopped

3 tablespoons flour

4 cups heated beef broth

2 cups red wine

12 ounces mushrooms

1 pound of new potatoes optional

3 tablespoons tomato paste

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 sprigs of thyme or ½ teaspoon of thyme leaves

1 sprig of fresh rosemary or ½ teaspoon of dried rosemary

1 bay leaf

parsley for serving

Preheat the oven to 180°C.

Fry bacon crispy. Remove the bacon from the pan, leaving the fat at the bottom of the pan.

Pat the meat dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper. Fry it in the bacon fat in small batches over medium heat. Remove from pan and set aside.

Add onion and carrot to skillet and sauté for 2-3 minutes or until onion softens. Return the beef to the pan, stir in the flour, and sear for 2-3 minutes.

Add broth, wine, mushrooms, potatoes (if using), tomato paste, garlic, thyme, rosemary, and bay leaf. Cover and cook for 2½ to 3 hours.

Remove the bay leaf, mix it with the bacon, and serve.

NOTES

Potatoes can be added to this stew, or the potatoes can be omitted and the stew served with mashed potatoes.

Choose well-marbled beef and trim away any visible fat (our favorite is pork shoulder).

Choose a dry red like Pinot Noir, Cabernet, or Merlot.

Add the bacon last, but save some for decoration!

To make the stew even thicker after cooking, mix equal parts cornstarch and water. Gradually add to the simmering stew, stirring constantly, until desired consistency is achieved.