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1
Preheat the oven to 300u00b0F and arrange a rack so the casserole is in the middle of the oven.
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2
Brush the halved head of garlic with a bit of olive oil. Arrange the halves in the Le Creuset casserole. Cover and place in the preheated oven for an hour or so, until the cloves start to pop and are meltingly tender. (You can also wrap the garlic tightly in foil and cook it that way.)
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3
Remove the garlic, and when it is slightly cooled, squeeze the cloves into a shallow bowl and mash them with a heavy fork. The easy way is to sprinkle a bit of salt over them.
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4
Dry the meat cubes with paper towels. Place the Heart Casserole on the rangetop and add 2 teaspoons of olive oil. Heat on medium-high until the oil is hot but not smoking. Add the beef cubes in two batches, tossing them until they are browned, about 5 minutes per batch. Salt and pepper each batch and remove to a small platter.
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5
Add the wine to the pan and bring to a boil, scraping with a wooden spoon to dissolve the browned bits. Stir in the meat, roasted garlic, shallots, carrots, parsnips, mushrooms, beef broth, tomato paste, orange zest, herbes de Provence, bay leaf and the tomatoes with their liquid. Bring to a boil, stir, and then cover the pan. Place in the preheated oven.
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6
Bake for about 2 1/2 hours, or until the meat is tender. Pick out and discard the bay leaf and taste for salt and pepepr.
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7
Serve from the Heart Casserole over a bed of cooked noodles or mashed potatoes. Sprinkle each serving with the parsley, chives or green onions.
