Basic Beef Stew

Directions

1. 1
   Season flour with salt and pepper. Dredge the meat in flour.
2. 2
   Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a skillet. Brown meat in two batches. Place browned meat in slow cooker.
3. 3
   Add remaining oil (1 tbsp) to the heated skillet and cook carrots, celery, onion & potatoes for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Place sauteed vegetables in crock pot on top of meat.
4. 4
   Pour broth (and wine if using) into skillet and stir to deglaze the pan. Pour mixture over meat and vegetables.
5. 5
   Add thyme, cover and cook on the high setting for 2 hours. Drop the temperature to the low setting and continue cooking for an additional 3-4 hours, or until meat is fork tender. (The recipe stated that you could also do the entire cooking process on low for 6-8 hours -- I did the entire cooking process in 3 hours on high, which is why I listed the cooking time as 3 hours).