Beef Stew with Bacon and Plums

Trim and cut the roast into large, bite-sized pieces. Sprinkle evenly with salt, cover, and chill overnight.

Preheat the oven to 450°F. Cut the bacon into lardons and fry in a skillet with the olive oil until all the fat has been rendered, and the remaining meat is well browned. Reserve the bacon grease. Dry the bacon meat with paper towels and set aside.

Place the squash in a large baking dish and cover with 1 tbsp of bacon grease, and 1 tbsp of melted butter. Sprinkle with salt and toss to coat the squash evenly. Place, uncovered, in the oven and roast until tender and starting to singe on top (20—30 min), stirring once in the middle. Transfer to a large bowl, cover, and set aside. Then reduce the oven to 275°F.

While the squash cooks, add the remaining bacon grease and olive oil to the skillet, and heat until shimmering. Meanwhile, dry the beef completely with paper towels. Brown the beef in batches, taking care not to overcrowd the skillet. Once browned, set the beef aside. Reserve 1 tbsp of the hot oil in the pan, discarding the rest.

Cut the leek in half lengthwise, and reserve a few stalks from the center-most layer. Dice the remainder of the white portion of the leek, discarding the green. Set the prepared white portions aside.

Add 1 tbsp of butter to the reserved hot oil. Once the butter foams, add the onions, sprinkle with salt, and sautée. Use the butter and oil to deglaze the skillet as the onions cook. When the onions have just started to soften (2–3 min), add diced leeks and garlic. Sprinkle with salt, and cook until the onions are completely soft and translucent (3–4 min). Add the mixture to the baking dish formerly used for the squash.

Add the red wine to the skillet and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat slightly, and continue boiling until the volume has reduced by half. Add the reserved beef to the baking dish with the onions, and cover with the wine reduction.

Prepare a sachet containing the cinnamon, cloves, and peppercorns with string and cheese cloth. Separately, tie the parsley stems and leek centers together.

Tuck the completed sachet and the bay leaves under the beef layer near the center of the dish, leaving the string hanging out over the edge. Add tiny dollops of tomato paste all around. Sprinkle thyme over everything, and place the leek & parsley stems on top. Add enough chicken stock to just cover the contents of the baking dish. Cover tightly with foil, and place in the oven on a baking sheet. Cook for 2 hours.

Uncover the baking sheet, and add the prunes in a single layer on top. Cover again, and bake until the meat is easy pierced with a knife (about 45 min). Uncover, skim the fat layer (if any), and remove the sachet, parsley bundle, and bay leaves. Add the squash, and bake uncovered for a further 20 min, basting occasionally. Sprinkle with fresh parsley to serve.