Add beef, carrots, onions, bay leaf, thyme, and wine to a large dish or zip bag. Cover and refrigerate overnight, at least 12 hours and up to 24. Try not to forget it’s in there. I usually do.

Strain the liquid into a saucepan and set the beef and veggies aside. Boil the wine and let it simmer until reduced by half. It’ll smell strong. That’s good.

Preheat oven to 350°F. Pat the beef dry, season with salt and pepper, and brown it in batches in a heavy pot with oil over high heat. Don’t rush this. Brown means brown.

In the same pot, cook bacon until golden. Remove. Brown mushrooms, remove. Cook onions until lightly golden, remove.

Add butter to the pot, then carrots. Cook until lightly golden. Add garlic for a minute, then tomato paste for two minutes. Stir in flour and cook another two minutes.

Slowly stir in beef stock, then the reduced wine, until smooth. Add beef, bacon, thyme, bay leaf, salt, and pepper.

Bring to a simmer, cover, and bake for 1 hour. Remove, stir in mushrooms and onions, then return to the oven for another 1½ hours until the beef is fall-apart tender.

Taste and adjust seasoning. If you have time, let it rest overnight. Reheat gently and serve over mashed potatoes with parsley on top.