Irish Pub Beef Stew - cooking recipe

Ingredients

1 1/2 lbs beef, cut into chunks (splurge on the cut if you can)
1/4 cup butter
1 (10 1/2 ounce) can tomato soup
1 (10 1/2 ounce) can water
4 carrots, cut into chunks
4 large potatoes, cut into chunks (I don't peel carrots or spuds but you can if you like)
2 stalks celery, cut into chunks
4 onions, cut into chunks
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped fine
1/4 cup good quality cooking sherry
2 bay leaves

Preparation

Preheat oven to 300F degrees.
In a heavy skillet brown the beef in the butter over medium high heat.
Add the soup and water and stir well.
Add the rest of the ingredients and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring once.
Transfer to a cast iron dutch oven or oven proof pot and cook in the oven, covered for 5 hours, stirring occasionally.
Remove from oven, remove bay leaves and serve with Irish Soda Bread and butter.