Cut the beef into 2 to 3 cm cubes. If there's any hard fat or other gnarly bits, trim them off but don't discard them. Season the meat with salt and pepper. Preheat your oven to 350 F.

Put a large oven-proof pot on medium-high heat. If you have trimmings, throw then in and let them render. Once they've given up their fat, remove and discard them. If they didn't give up much oil or if you didn't have trimmings at all, add a splash of veg oil to the pot. Add the meat and sear until the cubes are nicely browned, then remove them and set aside. Allow about 10 minutes to do this.

Add the carrots to the pot and fry them until they take on a little colour and start to caramelize. This should take about 3 to 5 minutes. Remove them and set aside.

Add the onions and garlic to the pot and fry about 1 minute, just to soften. Pour in the wine and add the thyme and bay leaves. Simmer for 5 minutes until reduced by about half. Add the stock and balsamic vinegar. Season with a couple of pinches of salt and freshly cracked black pepper. Return the meat to the pot. Cover with a lid and put the pot in the oven for 1 hour.

Take the pot out and add the carrots. Put the lid back on and return the pot to the oven. Cook another hour, or until both the meat and carrots are tender.

Put the pot back on the stove on medium-high heat. Fish out the thyme sprigs and bay leaves. Make a slurry with the cornstarch and a few tbsp water, then stir it into the pot. Let simmer a final 5 minutes to thicken, then taste. Season as required. If the sauce seems a little too sharp, add sugar (or better yet, maple syrup) 1 tbsp at a time until it reaches the desired flavour. If you need to mellow the taste without adding sweetness, stir in 1 tbsp butter. Garnish with the chopped parsley.