• 6 ounces bacon, chopped into 1/4″ strips
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 pounds beef chuck, cut into 1″ pieces
• 2 1/2 teaspoons sea salt or to taste, divided
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 cups dry red wine
• 2 tablespoons good quality balsamic vinegar
• 5 carrots, peeled and cut into 1/2″ thick pieces
• 1 medium yellow onion, diced
• 2 stalks celery, finely diced
• 6 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 3-4 cups low-sodium beef broth
• 8 ounces red wine demi-glace sauce
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 tablespoons fresh thyme, stripped
• 1 spring fresh rosemary, chopped
• 1 pound small (fingerling) potatoes, halved or quartered

Preheat oven to 300 F. In a large, oven-proof pot, sauté bacon over medium heat until golden brown and fat is released. Using a slotted spoon, remove bacon to a separate large bowl. While bacon is cooking, place beef in a large mixing bowl and season with 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and black pepper. Sprinkle beef with flour; toss to combine and evenly coat beef. Transfer beef in batches into the hot bacon fat and cook over medium/high heat, until beef is browned (2-3 minutes per side). Add olive oil if needed. Transfer browned beef to the bowl with bacon. Add a bit of red wine to the pot to deglaze, then reduce the heat to low-medium. Scrape the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon to release meat pieces. Add balsamic vinegar and simmer over low-medium heat, about 10 minutes, being careful not to burn. Pour 2 cups red wine in with the beef and bacon. Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in the large pot over medium heat. Add carrots, onion, celery, and garlic; sauté 10 minutes. Then add the tomato paste and sauté another 1-2 minutes. Then return the beef, bacon and wine to the pot. Add beef broth, red wine demi-glace sauce, bay leaves, thyme, rosemary, and remaining 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Stir until the demi-glace has melted. Then add potatoes and stir to combine everything, submerging the potatoes in liquid. Cover with lid and bake at 300 F oven for 2 to 3 hours. To thicken, combine 2 tablespoons water and 1 tablespoon cornstarch. Mix well and add to stew. Stir well and heat for 5 minutes. Pour into bowls, add a sprinkle of salt, serve and enjoy!