My rendition of Julia Child’s Bœuf Bourguignon. The last recipe of 2023 ❤️🍾🥂

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
2. Bring a small pot of water to a boil. Add the slab bacon and boil for 10 minutes. Drain, rinse under cold water, and pat dry. Cut the bacon into lardon pieces (1/2-inch thick slices).
3. In a large Dutch oven or oven-safe pot, cook the bacon over medium heat until crispy. Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon and set aside. Reserve 2 tablespoons of bacon fat in the pot.
4. Pat the beef chuck dry with paper towels. Season with salt and pepper.
5. Working in batches, brown the beef in the reserved bacon fat over medium-high heat. Brown all sides of the beef, about 3-4 minutes per batch. Remove the beef and set aside with the bacon.
6. Add the olive oil, sliced carrot, and sliced onion to the pot. Cook over medium heat until softened, about 8-10 minutes.
7. Add the red wine and beef broth to the pot, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom. Bring to a simmer.
8. Stir in the tomato paste, minced garlic, dried thyme, and bay leaf. Return the beef and bacon to the pot. The liquid should almost cover the meat. If not, add a bit more broth or wine.
9. Cover the pot and transfer to the preheated oven. Cook for 2-3 hours, or until the beef is fork-tender.
10. While the beef is cooking, prepare the mushrooms and pearl onions.

    * In a large skillet, melt the butter over medium-high heat. Add the quartered mushrooms and cook until browned and softened, about 8-10 minutes. Remove and set aside.

    * Add the pearl onions to the same skillet and cook until lightly browned, about 5-7 minutes. Remove and set aside.

11. Once the beef is fork-tender, remove the pot from the oven. Remove the bay leaf.
12. Stir in the cooked mushrooms and pearl onions.
13. Serve hot, garnished with fresh parsley. This dish is even better the next day!