Crock-Pot Guinness Beef Stew - cooking recipe

Ingredients

3 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 - 2 lbs stewing beef
flour
salt & pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 sweet vidalia onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, pressed
1 -2 teaspoon paprika
1 cup red wine
12 ounces approx. tomato sauce (1/2 jar)
1 teaspoon dried thyme
handful sugar
1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
3 celery ribs, chopped
3 -4 shallots, peeled & cloves separated
3 -4 garlic cloves, sliced
1/2 bunch fresh parsley, chopped
bay leaf
1 cup baby carrots, diced
1/2 small butternut squash, cubed
5 -6 small red potatoes
1 (10 1/2 ounce) can French onion soup
24 ounces guinness beer (2 bottles or cans)
0.5 (8 ounce) package sweet frozen peas (optional)

Preparation

Heat oil in large skillet. Toss beef, flour, salt & pepper in zip-lock bag until beef is thoroughly coated. Add to hot oil and sear beef chunks on all sides until browned. Set beef in crock-pot.
Using same pan, heat additional oil and add vidalia onions, paprika, garlic and sautee until onions translucent and reddish brown. Add red wine (approx. 2 cups or so) and bring to a boil. Cook for approximately 5 minutes and then add about half jar tomato sauce. Sprinkle in thyme and sugar (if necessary), to taste. Bring to a boil once again, cook for another 5 minutes.
While sauce is cooking, add Worcestershire sauce, celery, shallots, garlic, parsley, bay leaves, carrots, squash & potatoes to crock-pot on top of seared beef. I usually add them in this order. Once tomato-wine sauce is ready, add to crock-pot along with french onion soup and then lastly, the Guinness beer. Gently stir, allowing liquids to reach throughout.
Cook on high setting approximately 6+ hours, then on low for another 2 hours. Stew should be just about done when meat begins to fall apart upon stirring and also when squash and potatoes have reduced in size. You may need to mash meat with wooden spoon to loosen, if necessary.
If sauce hasn't thickened enough, add starch (premixed with a little water) to stew, stir and cook on low until it is as thick as desired. If too dry, add more Guinness. Stir in sweet peas (optional), before serving. Enjoy!