Marinate the beef for at least 4 hours (best over night) in the red wine mixed with the chopped onion, garlic, bay leaves and fresh peppercorns.

Remove the meat from the marinade and dry with paper towel.

In a large pan:

• Fry bacon in oil until slightly browned. Place bacon in a large ovenproof casserole.
• Then brown the pearl onions and cubed carrots in the pan and add to casserole.
• Then brown the meat in the pan. Depending on the size of the pan (i.e. if it is not possible to fit all the meat into the pan), do the meat in batches and store the meat already browned temporarily in a large dish..
• When all the meat has been browned, put it all into the pan, sprinkle 1 tablespoon of flower and mix well while continuing to brown (approx. 5 minutes) then add bit by bit the red wine marinade including onions, garlic, bay leaves and fresh peppercorns and last but not least the tomato paste. Add to casserole and mix carefully with bacon and pearl onions.

Cook for 2 hours (or until tender) in oven at 180 Celsius (275 Fahrenheit) in a covered pan or pot.

Best served with home made spaetzle (refer to recipe Spaetzle).

Boeuf Bourgignon comes from the Bourgignon region of France (in English, this region is known as Burgundy). Bougignon is famous for its rich cuisine, developed during a time when it was one of the richest corners of Europe. Its cuisine features beef, creamy sauces and of course wine (it is one of the two premier wine regions of France). Perhaps its most famous dish is Boeuf (which is French for beef) Bourgignon, which combines all three traditions.

There are many full-bodied wines suitable for this dish. However, the Burgundy wines are a good bet. If possible, serve a full-bodied Burgundy wine at the table to go with the dish. Not only will it be a good match, but it shows a little extra style (this in particular will be appreciated by French visitors, who generally believe that food from a given region should be matched by wine from the same region).