Beef cheek bourguignon

. Ingredients: • 4 beef cheeks - approx. 250g each • 2 large carrots cut into chunks • 15 small onions peeled but left whole • 2 bay leaves, dried is fine • 4 sprigs fresh thyme • 750ml good red wine - preferably pinot noir • 250g mushrooms , halved • 250g bacon diced • 3 tbsp butter • 3 garlic cloves , minced • 2 tbsp tomato paste • 6 tbsp flour • 1 Lt beef stock • 3 tbsp olive oil • salt • pepper • Chopped parsley Method: • Marinade the beef in the wine with the onion, carrots, bay leaves and thyme overnight. Preferably for 24 hours Next day: • Preheat the over to 170°C • Pour the contents into a strainer reserving the wine • Heat the wine in a pot until simmering • Put the vegetables, bay leaves and meat into a separate bowl • Dry the beef well with paper towel • Season the meat well with salt and pepper and then brown it in 3 tblsp oil over a high heat • Remove the meat with a slotted spoon • In the same pan/pot, fry the bacon until well browned. Remove and set aside. • Then brown the onions until a little golden - about 3 minutes. Remove from pan • Brown the mushrooms and then remove these from the pan. • Put the mushrooms and onions in the same bowl and set aside • Melt 3 tablespoons of butter in the same pan/pot and add the carrots, garlic and tomato paste. Fry for about 2 minutes over a medium heat • Add the flour and cook for 1 minute. • Slowly pour in the hot wine, whisking to remove any lumps and scaping all the stuck bits from the bottom of the pot. Then add the stock • Bring everything to a simmer and then add back the beef, bacon, bay leaves and remaining thyme • Cover with a tight fitting lid and place in the oven for 1 and a half hours • Turn the beef cheeks over and cook for a further 1 and a half hours • Add the onions and mushrooms, stir through and then cook in the oven for another hour or until the beef is really tender. • Remove from the oven. The sauce should have thickened nicely. If not, remove the meat and on the stove top gently boil the sauce until it has reduced and thickened • Serve beef cheeks on mashed potato covered in sauce and vegetables, topped with freshly chopped parsley