You'll have difficulty waiting for this wonderful stew to finish cooking. It takes a little more effort to brown the meat first, but that's what gives the stew the depth of flavor that you won't get just in the slow cooker. You'll wind up with tender meat
4 medium carrots
½ package/bag celery
1 medium onion
2 lb. red potatoes
1½ lb. beef stew meat
salt and pepper, to taste
¼ c. all-purpose flour
2 T. olive oil
4-5 cloves garlic, minced
2 c. beef stock/broth
2 T. Dijon mustard
1 T. Worcestershire sauce
1 T. soy sauce
½ T. brown sugar
½ T. dried rosemary
½ t. thyme
Wash carrots, celery and potatoes; peel onion and dice; slice the carrots and celery; cut potatoes into one inch cubes.
Place a slow cooker liner in the base of a large slow cooker for easy clean up. Place the onion, carrots, celery, and potatoes into the slow cooker.
Place stew meat in a large bowl; season liberally with salt and pepper; add flour; toss meat until it is well coated; set meat aside.
Heat olive oil in a large heavy skillet over medium heat; sauté garlic in the hot oil for about 1 minute, or until soft and fragrant. Add floured meat and all of the flour from the bottom of the bowl to the skillet. Let meat cook without stirring for a few minutes to allow it to brown on one side; stir; repeat until most or all sides of the meat pieces are browned. Add the browned meat to the slow cooker; carefully stir to combine with the vegetables.
Return skillet to the stove; turn heat down to low; add beef stock/broth, Dijon mustard, Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce, brown sugar, rosemary, and thyme to the skillet; stir to combine ingredients and dissolve the browned bits from the bottom of the skillet. When everything is dissolved off the bottom of the skillet, pour the sauce over the ingredients in the slow cooker. The sauce will not cover all of the ingredients in the slow cooker. More moisture will be released while cooking.
Cover slow cooker; cook on High for 4 hours. After 4 hours, uncover; stir, breaking the meat into smaller pieces while stirring. Taste and adjust salt, if needed.
Serve hot.
10- 1 cup servings.