'Just For Susan' Beef Stew - cooking recipe

Ingredients

1/4 cup vegetable oil
2 pounds cubed beef stew meat
4 cups water
salt and ground black pepper to taste
6 white potatoes, cut into bite-size pieces
1 pound carrots, thickly sliced
4 ribs celery, thickly sliced
1 cup diced onion
2 tablespoons cornstarch
2 tablespoons water

Preparation

Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat; cook beef in hot oil until browned completely, about 5 minutes.
Pour 4 cups water into the pot; add salt and pepper. Bring liquid to a boil, reduce heat to medium-low, and cook beef for 2 hours.
Stir potatoes, carrots, celery, and onion into the water; cook until all vegetables are tender, about 30 minutes.
Whisk cornstarch into 2 tablespoons water; stir into the liquid in the pot. Continue cooking until the liquid has thickened, about 10 minutes.