Beef Bourguignon -- The Pot Roast That Was Waiting When I Came Back from the River

March 8th came and went. Here's what happened.

I drove to the cottonwood tree by the Musselshell at seven in the morning. It was cold — about ten degrees — and overcast, the sky the particular gray that means snow is thinking about it. I sat on a log near the water with my coffee in a thermos and I looked at the river and I said Derek's name out loud.

I said: "Derek Allen Owens. Two years. I'm still here and you're not and that's still the hardest fact there is. I'm going to keep going. I don't know why I get to and you don't but I'm going to keep going because I think that's what you do with the going-to."

I stayed for two hours. It snowed lightly for the last forty-five minutes — small, dry flakes that didn't accumulate but that made the air feel different. I watched them fall on the river. Then I drove home.

I didn't drink. That's the fact that matters most this year. Two years ago on March 8th the bomb went off and Derek died and I didn't die. Last March 8th I was drinking toward the barn and didn't know it. This March 8th I sat by a river in the snow with my thermos and I said my friend's name and I drove home and I didn't drink.

Mom had pot roast ready when I came in. I sat at the kitchen table and ate and Patrick came in and sat down and we ate together, the three of us, without anyone saying anything about why the pot roast was on the table on a Thursday. We all knew. Nobody needed to name it.

Sixty-three days dry. The anniversary is behind me. I came back from the river. That's what Gary said to do.

That pot roast Mom had on the table — she’d started it before dawn, I’m sure of it. She would have had the Dutch oven out before I even left for the river. That’s the thing about the people who love you through the hard days: they don’t ask what you need, they just put beef in a pot at five in the morning and let the house fill up with the smell of something warm for when you walk back through the door. This is her recipe, or close enough — slow-braised beef with wine and root vegetables, the kind of meal that takes hours because some things are supposed to take hours.

Beef Bourguignon

Prep Time: 30 minutes | Cook Time: 3 hours | Total Time: 3 hours 30 minutes | Servings: 6

Ingredients

• 3 pounds beef chuck roast, cut into 2-inch chunks
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
• 6 slices thick-cut bacon, chopped
• 1 large yellow onion, diced
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 tablespoons tomato paste
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 2 cups dry red wine
• 2 cups beef broth
• 2 sprigs fresh thyme
• 2 bay leaves
• 4 large carrots, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1 pound baby Yukon Gold potatoes, halved
• 8 ounces cremini mushrooms, quartered
• 1 cup frozen pearl onions
• 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped, for serving

Instructions

1. Season the beef. Pat the chuck roast pieces dry with paper towels and season generously with salt and pepper on all sides.
2. Brown the bacon. In a large Dutch oven over medium heat, cook the chopped bacon until crisp, about 5 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside, leaving the rendered fat in the pot.
3. Sear the beef. Working in batches so you don’t crowd the pot, sear the beef chunks in the bacon fat and 1 tablespoon olive oil until deeply browned on all sides, about 3 to 4 minutes per side. Transfer browned beef to a plate and set aside.
4. Cook the aromatics. Add the remaining olive oil to the pot. Add the diced onion and cook until softened, about 4 minutes. Add the garlic and tomato paste and stir for 1 minute until fragrant. Sprinkle in the flour and stir for another minute to coat the vegetables.
5. Deglaze with wine. Pour in the red wine, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Let it simmer for 2 minutes.
6. Braise the beef. Return the beef and bacon to the pot. Add the beef broth, thyme sprigs, and bay leaves. The liquid should come about 3/4 of the way up the beef. Bring to a simmer, then cover and transfer to a 325°F oven. Cook for 1 hour and 30 minutes.
7. Add the vegetables. Remove the pot from the oven and add the carrots, potatoes, mushrooms, and pearl onions. Stir gently, cover, and return to the oven for another 1 hour to 1 hour and 15 minutes, until the beef is fork-tender and the vegetables are cooked through.
8. Finish and serve. Remove the bay leaves and thyme sprigs. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper as needed. Ladle into bowls and garnish with fresh chopped parsley. Serve with crusty bread if you have it.

Nutrition (per serving)

Calories: 520 | Protein: 42g | Fat: 22g | Carbs: 28g | Fiber: 4g | Sodium: 680mg