The night before, sprinkle salt and pepper over the beef, put into a glass bowl, cover and keep in the refrigerator overnight. In a large, heavy-bottomed pan with a lid that can go in the oven (a Dutch oven is best) fry the bacon until crisp. Remove to a plate topped with paper towels to drain and save--it does not go back into the stew. Add the oil to the bacon fat and heat until the oil is hot, but not smoking. Add a layer of beef cubes and brown on all sides. Set aside each browned batch and continue browning the beef until all the cubes are used.
Turn the heat to low. Pierce the two cloves into two of the pearl onions and add all the onions and carrots to the oil. Cook the vegetables, stirring occasionally, until the onions are softened. Remove them with a slotted spoon to set aside (they can go in with the beef).
Move the Dutch oven or pot away from the flame. Mix the brandy and the red wine and pour into the pot. Place it over high heat and cook until the wine is reduced by about two-thirds, scraping up all the brown bits from the bottom of the pan.
Add the beef and vegetables, celery, thyme, marjoram, 1 teaspoon pepper, bay leaf, tomatoes, garlic, and orange zest. Pour in enough broth so the level is 2/3 the way up the meat. Cover tightly and simmer on low for 2 to 3 hours. Stir occasionally, adding more broth if the stew is going to get dry. When the meat is tender, season with salt if needed. Serve with the chopped parsley sprinkled over. Remove the cloves and serve topped with fresh parsley.
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