I give myself a present every Christmas. It’s usually something I’ve been ogling for months–a cashmere sweater, an Ipod, a blender. This year, I bought myself something I’d been ogling for years–a cast iron pot that will last  forever.

I went into Williams-Sonoma a few days ago thinking that I wanted a Le Creuset in off-white. I walked out with a 7-quart Staub in a beautifully glazed graphite color.  I love the unique hue that matches my stainless appliance. I also love the dark interior that’s less prone to scratching.

To christen my new pot, I decided to make beef bourguinon, my favorite meat dish. Those of you who follow this blog know that meat cooking isn’t an everyday affair in my kitchen. For this dish, I drove for an hour to my nearest Whole Foods for some humanely-raised, organic beef. There was also a liquor-store run for the best Cognac I could find.

The result was a pot of fragrant stew with pieces of tender beef and chunks of sweet carrot. This stew begs to be served with some sort of starchy side dish. You will need some bread, rice, egg noodles or mashed potatoes to soak up the great juices made of red wine and Cognac.

That said, this is not the kind of easy and fast recipe that I rely on for everyday cooking. You have to cook the bacon, brown the beef, flambeaux the Cognac, chop the carrots before cooking the whole thing in an oven for about 3 hours.

I know that may be intimidating, but the effot really pays off. Especially when served in a fancy cast iron pot.

Beef Bourguignon

Adapted from Ina Garten

• Olive oil, 1 tablespoon
• Applewood smoked bacon, 8 ounces, diced
• Chuck beef (pick one with some marbling), 2 1/2 pounds, cut into 1-inch cubes
• Carrots, 1 pound (about 5 medium), sliced diagonally into 1-inch chunks
• Yellow onion, 2 medium, sliced
• Garlic, 2 cloves, chopped
• Cognac, 1/2 cup
• Dry red wine (such as Pinot Noir or Cote du Rhone), 1 750ml bottle
• Beef broth, 1 14oz can
• Tomato paste, 1 tablespoon
• Dried thyme, 1/2 teaspoon
• Unsalted butter, 2 tablespoons
• All-purpose flour, 3 tablespoons
• Frozen whole pearl onions, 1 pound, thawed
• Parsley, chopped, 1/2 cup

Preheat oven to 250 degrees F.

Heat olive oil in a large Dutch oven. Add bacon and cook over medium heat for 10 minutes, until the bacon is lightly browned. Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon to a large plate.

Dry beef cubes with paper towels and sprinkle them with salt and pepper. Sear the beef in the hot oil for 3 to 5 minutes, turn to brown all sides. Cook them in three batches, so they brown evenly. Remove the seared beef to the plate with the bacon.

Toss carrots, onions, 1 tablespoon of salt and 2 teaspoons of pepper in the pan and cook for 10 to 15 minutes until the onions are lightly browned. Add the garlic and cook for 1 more minute. Add the Cognac, stand back, and ignite with a match or lighter to burn off the alcohol. Put the meat and bacon back into the pot with the juices. Add wine and beef broth. Add tomato paste and thyme. Bring to a simmer, cover the pot with a lid and place it in the oven for about 3 1/2 hours or until the meat and vegetables are very tender when pieced with a fork.

Combine butter and flour with a fork and stir into the stew. Add pearl onions. Bring to a boil and simmer for 15 minutes without a lid. Season to taste.

To serve, spoon onto a large plate. Sprinkle with parsley.