Braised Beef Provençal

Total time: 5 hours 45 minutes   broken into 3 stages:
    Night before: 10 minutes;  Afternoon of: 25 minutes; Baking time: 5 hours plus 10 minutes to finish
    This is one of those long-cooking dishes that I love doing during the winter. It has a bit of bacon and sautéed carrots added, to give it its own unique flavors.  The leftovers will be tossed with pasta for another dinner.

 Ingredients:

• 24oz (720gr) beef, suitable for braising or stewing a roast would work to get large pieces
• 1 onion
• 4 cloves garlic
• 4 whole cloves
• 1 bouquet garni   you can buy these ready made in little sachets in the spice section
• 2  - 3 cups (16 - 24oz, 480 - 720ml) red wine  a hearty, robust wine, drinkable
• 2 tbs red wine vinegar
• 3oz (90gr) bacon,   3 - 4 strips
• 5 medium - large carrots
• 1 tbs olive oil
• 1/2 cup (4oz, 120ml) beef stock
• pinch nutmeg
• 3 tbs cornstarch (maizena) dissolved in 3 tbs water

 Instructions:

• The night before or early in the day:
• Trim beef and cut into 2 inch (5 cm) cubes.  Put into a deep bowl or sauce pan.
• Peel the onion and garlic.
• Cut the onion in half and stick two cloves into each half. 
• Add to the beef along with the garlic and bouquet garni. 
• Add the vinegar and 2 - 3 cups of red wine, enough to cover the beef.
• The afternoon of: 
• Take the meat out of the marinade and let drain, reserving all of the marinade.
• Peel carrots and slice into 1/4 inch (.65cm) rounds.
• Cut bacon into matchsticks. 
• Heat oil in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat.  Add carrots and sauté until golden and caramelized, 10 - 12 minutes, turn once using two forks or tongs. Remove carrots and set aside.
• Add bacon to skillet and sauté until crisp.  Remove and set aside.
• Add beef and brown on all sides.
• In a heavy baking dish (casserole), preferably deep, lay bacon on the bottom.
• Put the beef on top and surround the beef with the carrots.
• Pour the reserved marinade over all, along with the onion, garlic, bouquet garni and beef stock.
• Put a sheet of oiled, waxed paper over the pot and put the lid on top. 
• Bake for 5 hours at 350F (175C).
• Check it every 2 hours or so to make sure it's not drying out - if it is, add more wine.
• To finish:
• Remove from oven.  With slotted spoon take everything out of the sauce and put on a small platter. Cover with the lid or foil to keep warm.
• Discard bouquet garni and cloves.
• Bring the sauce to a boil over medium heat.
•  Dissolve cornstarch in water.  Slowly add cornstarch mixture to sauce, stirring until thickened.  You probably won't need all of it so stop periodically and let it cook to test consistency.
• Spoon some of the sauce over the beef and carrots, serve the remainder on the side.  Serve.

Note:  If your baking dish is not appropriate for the cook top put the red wine sauce into a small saucepan before thickening.