Ingredients

• 3 cups dry red wine
• 2 cups beef stock or canned broth
• 1/4 cup Marc de Bourgogne or good-quality brandy
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 2 small carrots, chopped
• 4 garlic cloves, sliced
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 teaspoon dried rosemary
• 10 peppercorns
• 12 parsley stems
• 4 whole cloves
• 4 allspice berries
• 1 bay leaf
• 3 pounds beef chuck, cut into 2 inch pieces
• Salt and pepper
• 1/4 pound slab bacon (rind removed and reserved) sliced lengthwise 1/4 inch thick, crosswise into pieces 1/2inch wide
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 tablespoon oil
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 1 pound pearl onions
• 4 tablespoon butter
• Pinch of sugar
• 1 pound button mushrooms
• Beurre Manie (equal parts flour and softened butter, mixed together, about 1 tablespoon each)
• 6 slices firm white bread, crusts removed, cut into heart shapes
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
• 1/4 cup minced fresh parsley

Instructions

1. In a large bowl combine marinade ingredients and beef. Chill, covered, overnight. Drain beef, reserving marinade and vegetables separately; pat beef dry and season with salt and pepper.
2. Preheat oven to 275/F. Cover bacon and rind with cold water, bring to a boil and simmer 3 minutes. Drain. In a large casserole set over moderate heat cook bacon lardons in butter and oil, stirring often, until golden. With a slotted spoon transfer lardons to paper towels to drain.
3. In casserole over moderately high heat brown beef in bacon fat, in batches. Pour off all but 1 tablespoon of fat from casserole. Add reserved vegetable mixture and cook, stirring, for 5 minutes. Add reserved marinade liquid, tomato paste, reserved bacon rind and salt and pepper, bring liquid to a boil and cook in oven, covered, 3 hours. Skim fat from stew and drain meat and vegetables, reserving cooking liquid. Return liquid and meat to casserole.
4. Meanwhile make vegetable garnish: In a skillet cover onions with water, add 1 tablespoon of butter, sugar and salt and pepper to taste. Simmer onions until almost tender. Raise heat to high and reduce cooking liquid to 2 tablespoons. Continue to cook onions, shaking pan over heat, until golden brown and glazed. In a skillet set over moderately high heat, melt remaining butter and add mushrooms and salt and pepper to taste. Cook mushrooms, tossing often, for 7 minutes, or until firm. Add the onions and mushrooms to the casserole. Bring liquid in casserole to a simmer and add enough Beurre Manie, bit by bit, stirring constantly, to lightly thicken sauce.
5. Make croutons: Brush both sides of bread with melted butter, arrange on a baking sheet and bake in a 400 F. oven until golden brown. Dip edges of bread in Bourguignon sauce and then in parsley.
6. To serve: spoon meat and vegetables into shallow serving dishes and garnish with croutons.