Traditional Oven Method:

• Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Warm olive oil in a heavy-based pot or Dutch oven. Add bacon and cook over medium heat until browned and crisp, about 3 minutes. Transfer to a separate dish using a slotted spoon. Pat beef pieces dry and brown in batches in the rendered fat until golden on all sides. Set aside with the bacon. In the same pot, sauté onion and carrot for approximately 3 minutes until softened, then incorporate 4 minced garlic cloves and cook an additional minute. Discard excess fat, leaving roughly 1 tablespoon in the pan. Return beef and bacon to the pot. Season with coarse salt and pepper, dust with flour, toss to coat, and cook for 4–5 minutes to develop color.
• Stir in pearl onions, wine, and sufficient beef stock to barely submerge the meat. Mix in tomato paste, bouillon cube, thyme, bay leaves, and half the parsley. Bring to a gentle simmer. Cover and transfer to the lower rack of the oven. Cook for 2 to 3 hours until the beef becomes tender and falls apart easily.
• Five minutes before the beef finishes, melt butter in a skillet over medium heat. Sauté the remaining garlic until fragrant (about 30 seconds), then add mushrooms. Cook for 5 minutes, occasionally shaking the pan to evenly coat them in butter. Season lightly and set aside.
• Carefully strain the stew into a colander set over a clean pot to separate the sauce. Discard the bay leaves and thyme sprigs. Return the meat and vegetables to the Dutch oven and top with sautéed mushrooms. Skim any fat from the sauce and simmer briefly, adjusting consistency as needed with extra stock or by reducing the sauce. Ensure the sauce lightly coats the back of a spoon. Taste and adjust seasoning. Pour sauce over meat and vegetables. Simmer for 2–3 minutes to heat through. Garnish with remaining parsley. Serve with mashed potatoes, noodles, or rice.