Crock - Pot Beef Stew

• 1-2 lbs beef stew meat cut into bite sized pieces
• 2 tablespoons cooking oil
• 1/4 cup flour + 2 Tablespoons
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 1 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 garlic clove minced
• 1 large onion chopped
• 1 lb potato peeled and chopped
• 2 or 3 large carrots chopped
• 1 (14.5oz) can beef broth
• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 2 teaspoons Gravy Master (or Kitchen Bouquet) 
• 1 bay leaf

1) Peel and chop potatoes and carrots. Place in bottom of crock pot.
2) In plastic bag or medium sized bowl combine flour, salt and pepper.
3) Add meat pieces to the flour mixture, toss to coat completely. Set bowl of flour aside.
4) In the bottom of a fry pan add oil and heat on med high until just before smoking.
5) While oil is heating and meat is cooking mince garlic and chop onion.
6) Add 1/3 meat pieces to the pan and cook until all sides of meat are browned. Remove with slotted spoon to crock pot. Repeat this process until all meat is browned.
7) Lower heat to medium, add garlic and onion to the fry pan after meat has been removed. Sprinkle lightly with a bit of salt cooking until just translucent.
8) Add 1/4 to 1/2 can of beef broth to fry pan and scrape off the brown bits from the bottom of the pan. Add a small amount of broth to the bowl with the remaining flour. whisk in the 2 additional tablespoons of flour.
9) Add all broth to the crock pot along with Worcestershire sauce, paprika and Gravy master.  Drop in bay leaf.
10) Cover and cook on low 6-8 hours stirring once or twice during the process. (My crock pot seems to run high so I cook mine 4 hours stirring twice.