This is a variation of my favorite beef ragout my in-laws make for us often. Making beef stew in the crock pot is literally fool proof! Just dump the ingredients in and go take a nap, work or go about your day. You’ll come back to a mouth watering meal.

Ingredients:

1 kg (2.2 lb) beef cubes
2 cups (500 ml) beef broth
One small can (156 ml) tomato paste
1/4 cup red wine
2 tablespoons plain white flour
2 large carrots
2 large potatoes
One long celery stick (I often put more)
A basket of small mushrooms or 2 cans of whole, drained and rinsed.
1 tsp of dried thyme
1 tsp dry rosemary
Salt and pepper

Preparation:

1. Place the meat cubes in the crock. Complicated right? Now peel the carrots and cut into thick rings. Peel the potatoes and cut into large cubes. Thinly slice the celery and add all the vegetables to the pot, including the mushrooms (cut them if you want. I don’t bother).
2. In a large measuring bowl or cup, mix broth, tomato paste, wine and herbs. In a separate bowl, mix the flour with a tablespoon or two of the sauce you made. I like to mix flour with my fingers, to make sure I did not miss any clumps, but you are surely more enlightened than me and use more refined methods. When the flour mixture is smooth, add it to the rest of the sauce and mix well.
3. Pour the sauce over the meat and vegetables in a slow cooker. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Store bought broth can be salty, so careful with that salt! I love lots of black pepper in my stew but I’m weird like that. Close the lid and cook on low heat for about six to eight hours. I checked my stew after six hours and everything was soft. Since vegetables cook slower than meat in the slow cooker, use your carrots to check the for readiness. If the carrots are tender, it’s time to eat!