Sort-of Beef Daube

This recipe was inspired by one in my current favorite cookbook, Around My French Table by Dorie Greenspan. In her recipe, Greenspan explains that her offering is not technically a French daube, and my version certainly isn’t either. But her recipe inspired me to come up with this version, which has a lot less alcohol than the original. The consistency of the sauce and beef is perfect, and the dish pairs perfectly with mashed potatoes.
4 bacon slices, chopped
Canola oil
3 1/2 lb. chuck or bottom round roast, trimmed and cut into chunks
Salt and pepper
2 onions, chopped
4 garlic cloves, peeled
8 carrots, cut into chunks
4 celery stalks, cut into chunks
8 oz. sliced portobello mushrooms
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup red wine
1 (32-oz.) container beef broth
3 fresh thyme sprigs, 2 fresh rosemary sprigs, 2 bay leaves, tied together with kitchen twine

1. Cook bacon in a large Dutch oven until almost crisp; remove from pot with a slotted spoon. Add 2 Tbsp. oil to bacon drippings in pot, and cook beef, in batches, in hot oil mixture until browned on all sides. Remove beef to a plate, and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
2. Add 1 more Tbsp. oil to pot, and sauté onions and next 4 ingredients until vegetables begin to soften. Season with salt and pepper. Stir in flour, and cook 1 minute. Stir in wine, and cook until liquid thickens. Stir in beef broth, beef, and bacon. Season with salt and pepper. Throw in herb bundle. Cover Dutch oven.
3. Bake at 350° for 1 hour. Remove from oven, and stir. Taste and season with salt and pepper, if needed. Replace lid, and return to oven. Cook 2 more hours, stirring once more.