BEEF BOURGUIGNON
Ingredients
1 cup chopped bacon 1 clove garlic, minced
24 pearl onions, peeled 1 bouquet garni
1 lb mushrooms, halved salt and pepper to taste
1 ¼ cup beef stock
`Layer the following (onion, herbs, meat; repeat)
1 large onion, sliced thin
Few sprigs parsley
Few sprigs fresh thyme
2 lbs top round (bottom round or other stewing meat is fine), cut in cubed chunks 
Combine the following and pour over all of above to marinate for at least 4 hours
2 tbs brandy
1 ¾ cup red burgundy
2 tbs olive oil
¼ cup butter
Procedure
Melt butter in a casserole, add bacon and fry until golden. Remove and set aside.
Add onions and fry until golden. Remove and set aside.
Add mushrooms and fry, stirring for 1 min. Drain and set aside.
Remove beef from marinade. Strain marinade and set aside.
Brown beef in batches. Return all to pan, sprinkle with flour and stir for 1 min.
Gradually stir in marinade, then stock, garlic and bouquet garni.
Salt and pepper to taste.
Simmer 2 hours or until meat is tender. 
Skim fat. Add bacon, onion, mushrooms.
Cover and cook for an additional 30 min. Discard Bouquet garni and serve with noodles, rice, or parsley potatoes.
BEST MADE THE DAY BEFORE! Serves 6 but can easily be double, tripled
Wine
French Cote d Rhone, Morgan or for the bold, a Châteauneuf-du-Pape 