Beef Bourguignon

Source 1, 2, 3

Ingredients
1/2 lb  bacon (center cut, applewood smoked)
2.5lbs chuck roast
1 lb carrots, sliced diagonally into 1" chunks
2 yellow onions, sliced
1lb pearl onion, frozen
2 tsp garlic, minced (2 cloves)
1/2 cup Cognac
2 bay leaves
1 (750 ml.) bottle good dry red wine such as Pinot Noir, Burgundy, or Cote du Rhone
1 Tbsp tomato paste
1 can (2 cups) beef broth
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1lb shiitake, cremini or button mushrooms, thickly sliced
4 Tbsp butter at room temperature, divided into 2
3 Tbsp flour

1. Chop onions, carrots, (celery), (potatoes), bacon, and beef
2. Pre-heat oven to 250 degrees F
3. In a large dutch oven, cook the bacon over medium heat until lightly browned.  Scoop out onto a plate.
4. Turn the heat to high.  Dry the beef cubes with paper towels and then sprinkle them with salt and pepper. In batches in single layers, sear the beef in the hot oil for 3 to 5 minutes, turning to brown on all sides. Remove the seared cubes to the plate with the bacon and continue searing until all the beef is browned. Set aside.
5. Toss the carrots, and onions, 1 tablespoon of salt and 2 teaspoons of pepper in the fat in the pan and cook for 10 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onions are lightly browned. 
6. Add the garlic and cook for 1 more minute.  
7. Add the Cognac, stand back, and ignite with a match to burn off the alcohol.
8. Put the beef, bacon, and 2 bay leaves  into the pot with the juices. 
9. Add the bottle of wine plus just enough beef broth to almost cover the meat. 
10. Add the tomato paste and thyme. 
11. Bring to a simmer, cover the pot with a tight-fitting lid and place it in the oven for about 1 1/2 to 2 hours 3 hours or until the meat and vegetables are very tender when pierced with a fork.
12. While the stew is simmering in the oven, slice the mushrooms
13. About 2.5 hours in, saute the mushrooms in 2 tablespoons of butter for 10 minutes until lightly browned.
14. Take the stew out from the oven
15. Combine 2 tablespoons of butter and the flour with a fork and stir into the stew. 
16. Add the frozen pearl onions. 
17. Bring the stew to a boil on top of the stove, then lower the heat and simmer for 15 minutes. 

Notes: 
This was just way too much wine.  J had a glass of wine and we used the rest of the bottle to nearly submerge the beef.  After a day though, the wine taste wasn't as strong. Next time, I'd like to use some stock though.  This also needed waaaay more time to cook (depending on how large the chunks were.)  I originally put it in the oven for 1.5 hours, ended up extending the time probably by 1 to 1.5 hours until the meat started to really melt.