• Turn crock pot to LOW to pre-heat.
• Mise en place is important in this recipe as there are lots of quick, simultaneous steps involved. Chop all meats, veggies and herbs, measure out liquids as instructed above and set aside
• In the large cast iron or similar high sides skillet, over MED HIGH heat, fry bacon pieces until just crisp and remove with slotted spoon, leaving 1/2 the grease behind. Pour other 1/2 of bacon grease into large sautee pan.
• Season your meat chunks well with salt and pepper on a sheet tray. In at least 2 batches (don't crowd the pan!) sear beef cubes on all sides to get a nice browning. When finished, place beef in crock pot.
• While beef is browning, in large sautee pan you just added bacon grease to, add chopped onions (not the pearls) and carrots. Season with salt. Sautee 2 min. Add garlic and thyme, sautee 1 min more. Add to crock pot with beef.
• Using the 3-4qt pot, over Med/Low heat, add butter, melt until foaming, slowly add flour while whisking to make a quick roux. Cook 1-2 min. Add beef stock and bullion, whisking well. Bring to simmer, add to crock pot.
• In the same large sautee you did the onions/carrots in, add tomato paste, stirring around the pan, cook 1 min. Add wine, whisk together with tomato and bring to simmer. Add bay leaf. Add mixture to crock.
• OK! Everything (except mushrooms and pearl onions, brandy, parsley) should be in the crock. Gently combine. On LOW, cover and cook untouched, 6 hours.

Mushrooms, potatoes and finishing

• After 6 hours, check meat. It should be just about falling apart when pulled with a fork. In final hour of cooking, start your potato process. When it gets to this stage do the following...
• Melt 3T butter over MED heat in large sautee pan. Sautee mushrooms until golden, 3-4 min. Add to crock pot, combine. Now add pearl onions and keep cooking 30 min more.
• The following step is critical! This is how to thicken the gravy which elevates this dish to its highest state!
• Set a pot next to the crock with a fine mesh strainer on top. Using a large ladle, remove as much of the liquid as you can into the pot through the strainer. If you have a grease separator, filter liquid through that, separating the grease from sauce. Then into the pan to reduce.
• Over MED heat, bring sauce to simmer and reduce 5-6 min. It should easily coat the back of spoon when ready. At the end I add a splash, maybe 2 tsp of Brandy to the sauce for that final extra hint of luxury. Add gravy back to crock and combine well.

Plating

• Make mash potato dam around plate with well in middle (see photo). Fill center of plate with beef mixture. Spoon gravy over that. Garnish with chopped parsley.
• bon appétit!