4 lb. beef chuck roast
1 1/2 c. red wine vinegar
1/2 lb. carrots, diced
1 lg. onion, quartered
2 celery stalks, diced
4 slices smoked bacon or prosciutto
1 tsp. salt
1 bay leaf
1 clove garlic, crushed
2 rosemary sprigs
Freshly ground pepper

Combine all ingredients in a non-aluminum bowl. Cover and chill 2 days turning meat occasionally.

SAUCE:

3 tbsp. olive oil
1/2 lb. carrot, diced
2 med. onions, quartered
2 celery stalks, diced
3 tbsp. minced parsley
1 c. dry red wine
1 c. tomato sauce
2 tbsp. dry sherry
10 pitted prunes

Drain meat, reserving marinade. Discard vegetables. Heat oil in Dutch oven over medium heat. Add meat and brown well on all sides. Add reserved marinade, carrots, onions, celery, and parsley and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer until meat is very tender, adding water if necessary, 2 1/2 to 3 hours.

Transfer meat to platter; keep warm. Strain cooking liquid, pressing on vegetables to extract as much additional liquid as possible. Stir liquid, wine, tomato sauce, and sherry into Dutch oven, scraping up browned bits. Add prunes and simmer until sauce is slightly thickened, about 15 minutes. Spoon sauce over meat. Garnish with rosemary. Serve with sour cream.