Slow Cooker Beef Stew

Step 1

Pat the beef chunks dry with paper towels by pressing each piece firmly onto the towel—this removes surface moisture so the meat will brown instead of steam.

Step 2

Pour the flour into a shallow bowl, then roll each beef chunk in the flour until all sides are lightly coated with a thin white layer that sticks.

Step 3

Peel each carrot lengthwise with a vegetable peeler in downward strokes, rotating the carrot as you work, until no orange skin remains.

Step 4

Cut the peeled carrots on a cutting board by slicing straight down across the carrot every 1 inch, creating coin-shaped pieces about 1 inch long.

Step 5

Place a potato on the cutting board, cut it in half, then cut each half into cubes roughly 1.5 inches across—about the size of a dice game piece.

Step 6

Cut each onion in half from root to tip, place flat-side down, then cut into 1-inch chunks by slicing lengthwise, rotating, and cutting across.

Step 7

Mince the garlic cloves by placing each one under the flat side of a knife, pressing firmly to crush it, then chopping the crushed clove into pieces smaller than a grain of rice.

Step 8

Place a large skillet on the stovetop, set the heat to medium-high, and wait about 2 minutes until the pan is hot enough that a drop of water sizzles and evaporates immediately.

Step 9

Pour 1 tablespoon of olive oil into the hot skillet, then place half the floured beef pieces in a single layer—they should sizzle loudly.

Step 10

Let the beef cook without stirring for 3 minutes until the bottom surfaces turn deep brown, like a chocolate coin, then use a wooden spoon to stir and cook another 2 minutes.

Step 11

Transfer the browned beef to the slow cooker bowl using tongs or a slotted spoon, leaving any oil or drippings behind in the skillet.

Step 12

Return the skillet to medium-high heat, add the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil, then add the remaining beef pieces and repeat the browning process from step 10.

Step 13

Transfer the second batch of browned beef to the slow cooker bowl with the first batch.

Step 14

In a small bowl, whisk together the tomato paste and 0.5 cups of the beef broth until smooth and no lumps of paste remain visible.

Step 15

Pour the tomato-broth mixture into the slow cooker, then pour in the remaining 3.5 cups of beef broth and stir with a wooden spoon to combine.

Step 16

Add the minced garlic, dried thyme, and bay leaves to the slow cooker and stir until evenly distributed throughout the liquid.

Step 17

Add the carrot pieces, potato cubes, and onion chunks to the slow cooker and stir until all vegetables are submerged in the broth.

Step 18

Cover the slow cooker with its lid and set it to low heat for 8 hours, or high heat for 4 hours—low heat will produce more tender beef.

Step 19

After the cooking time, carefully lift the lid (steam will rise) and check that the beef shreds easily when you poke it with a fork—it should pull apart with minimal resistance.

Step 20

Remove and discard the bay leaves by fishing them out with a spoon or tongs and throwing them away.

Step 21

Taste a spoonful of the broth and stir in 1 teaspoon of salt, or more to taste, until the stew tastes savory and flavorful.

Step 22

Ladle the stew into bowls, dividing the beef, vegetables, and broth equally, and serve hot.