Cowgirl Stew - cooking recipe

Ingredients

2 -3 lbs boneless beef steaks, trimmed and cut into 1 inch pieces
1 teaspoon black pepper (or to taste)
1/4 teaspoon salt (or to taste)
1 teaspoon garlic powder (or to taste)
1 medium yellow onion, thinly sliced
2 lbs red potatoes, roughly peeled and cut into bite sized pieces (or all-purpose potatoes)
6 large carrots, peeled and cut into bite size pieces (about 3 cups)
1 stalk celery, chopped (about 1/2 cup)
8 ounces green beans, trimmed and cut into 2 inch pieces (if desired, 2 cups)
2 (14 1/2 ounce) cans low-sodium stewed tomatoes, undrained
1 (14 1/2 ounce) can Italian-style diced tomatoes, undrained
2 tablespoons quick-cooking tapioca

Preparation

On a tray or piece of wax paper, toss the steak with salt, pepper and garlic powder. Allow to reach room temperature while you are cutting your other vegetables. Place in 5-quart electric slow cooker. Layer the onion, then the potatoes, carrots, celery, and green beans on top.
In a bowl, stir together the tomatoes and tapioca and pour over the meat and vegetables. Cover the pot and cook on High for 5 to 6 hours or on Low for 9 to 10 hours or until the beef and vegetables are tender; stir once during the last hour of cooking.