The French call it comfort food. We call it emotional triage in a Dutch oven.

🥩 What You’ll Need to Feel Better

2½ lbs chuck roast, cut into chunks of your frustration
Kosher salt & cracked black pepper — season like you’re standing up for yourself
4 oz bacon, chopped (go fancy, not floppy)
2 tbsp olive oil
1 big-ass onion, diced
2 carrots, sliced into coins of hope
4 garlic cloves, smashed like your last bad day
2 tbsp tomato paste
2 tbsp flour (thickens the sauce, not your emotional walls)
2 cups red wine (whatever you’re not saving for your memoir release)
2 cups beef stock, fresh squeezed (or homemade tears if you're out)
1 tbsp thyme (you’ve earned it)
1 bay leaf — trust the process
1 lb mushrooms, halved (earthy like your emotional baggage)
10 pearl onions or shallots, peeled (because crying is part of the process)

🍷 How to Cook Your Feelings

Set the Mood: Preheat oven to 325°F. Throw on a playlist that knows what you’ve been through.
Browns First, Feelings Later: Season beef like it just ghosted you. Sear in batches till deeply browned and unapologetic. Set aside.
Redemption Bacon: In the same pot, cook bacon until crispy. Let the smell remind you some things are still good.
Veggie Therapy: Toss in onion, carrot, garlic. Stir like you’re unraveling a family secret. Let it soften—don’t rush.
The Paste-Flour Panic: Add tomato paste + flour. Stir like your rent depends on it for 2 minutes of pure, chaotic magic.
Wine Dump + Soul Pour: Add wine, beef stock, thyme, bay leaf, and the beef. Deep breath. Cover.
Low & Slow Emotional Release: Braise in oven 2½–3 hrs. This is where the healing happens. Don’t rush grief—or gravy.
Last 30-Minute Check-In: Sauté mushrooms + pearl onions until browned like they’ve got a backstory. Toss into stew with 30 mins left.
Serve Like You Mean It: Ladle over mashed potatoes, buttered noodles, crusty bread—or eat straight from the pot like a kitchen goblin with feelings.

💡 Feeling Tip: “Some days, you need more than a hug. You need a stew that slaps.”