The Ultimate Beef Bourguignon Recipe: Cozy French Comfort Food

Ingredients

• 3 lb beef brisket, chuck steak, or stewing beef (cut into chunks of about 2 inches)
• 6 oz bacon (chopped into small pieces)
• 1 lb white or brown mushrooms (cut in quarters)
• 1 cube crushed beef bouillon
• 1 large carrot (sliced thick at about ½ inch)
• 1 large white onion (diced into small pieces)
• 2 pearl onions (optional)
• 6 cloves garlic (minced; keep some for later use)
• 1 tsp fresh thyme (chopped finely)
• 2 bay leaves
• 3 cups red wine (like Merlot, Pinot Noir, or Chianti)
• 2 to 3 cups beef stock (Use 3 cups if using 2 cups of wine)
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons butter (for cooking mushrooms)
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 2 tablespoons flour (to make the stew thicker)
• 2 tablespoons fresh parsley (chopped finely; save some for later use)
• 1 pinch of coarse salt
• 1 pinch of ground pepper