Pork bourguignon - with apologies to julia child

Ingredients

• 3-4 pounds of country style pork ribs, shoulder or butt, cubed
• Bacon - about 3 slices (optional)
• 10 ounces. package of Pearl Onions (about 20 onions) - Peel onions. Or two jars of marinated cocktail ones, drained
• 2 5 ounces. containers of mushrooms - brown or white button.
• Aromatics including: one cup each of onion, carrot, celery and bell pepper. Use any or all, roughly chopped.
• 2 tablespoons. garlic - jar or fresh
• 1 tablespoon. tomato paste - okay to use 1/2 cup of tomato sauce.
• 2 tablespoons . flour
• Dried or fresh herbs including: 1 bay leaf and a pinch of oregano, sage and thyme. Bay leaf is the main one.
• 1 bottle of 99c red wine (or Two Buck Chuck) - minus what the chef tastes during sauteing!
• Beef stock - 32 ounces. Or 6 beef bouillon cubes dissolved in 4 cups of hot water.
• Salt and pepper to taste - plenty of salt is added with bouillon cubes or beef stock, so you may not need much.

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Preparation

• Saute bacon with meat until brown, about 20 minutes. Remove 1/2 the meat to make room for aromatics.
• Saute aromatics another 5 minutes to soften. Add tomato paste (or sauce), herbs, garlic and flour. Cook 5 minutes.
• Pour in the beef stock (or bouillon dissolved in water) and all the red wine you have left. Mix well, scraping bottom of pot to loosen and dissolve all the flavorful brown bits.
• Bring to a boil, then transfer to a pre-heated 350 degree oven and bake covered for 1 1/2 hours. Peel and saute Pearl Onions in 2 pats of butter or oil until lightly browned, and now sweetened.
  
• Don't turn too much or they will fall apart - set aside. Slice mushrooms in half; if they are small throw in a few whole, and saute in the same pan as the onions, for about 5 minutes until soft.
• Add sauteed onions and mushrooms after an hour and a half of baking Pork Bourguignon, and be careful - everything is hot! Cover and continue cooking for another hour.
• After baking for about 2 1/2 hours total, meat should separate easily with a fork. The Pearl Onions and mushroom will be unbelievably flavorful, infused with red wine and beef stock. Serve with boiled red potatoes or rice to soak up all the rich deep-brown sauce.

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