• Sprinkle your meat with a good dose of salt and pepper. A little heavier than if you were doing it on something you would eat straight as it's going to help season the whole pot.

Instant Pot

• Heat the Instant Pot on sauté and add your fat and brown the meat in batches, without crowding. Remove as needed to brown the rest.
• Add the onions and sauté until they have some colour.
• Add the thyme, rosemary, bay leaf, broth, wine, and garlic along with the meat and onions. Put the lid on, set to sealing and cook for 30 minutes on high pressure. Let it naturally release for at least 20 minutes before flipping the vent; doing a quick release can make your meat tough/dry.
• After the first time is up, check that your meat is tender. It does not need to be fall apart tender but if it still feels like shoe leather…it should maybe go a bit longer on its own…
• Then add in your celery, carrots, potatoes, and optional parsnips and beets.
• Cook on high pressure for another 15 minutes and another natural release.
• When the time is up, check that your vegetables are fork tender and easily mash if you press a chunk against the side of the pot with a fork.
• If you’d like to add any of the frozen vegetables, do so now. I do it at the end so they maintain their bite and don't become mush.
• We like our gravy thick in our stew, so this next step is optional, but really quite delicious. Omit or use cornstarch to keep it gluten-free.
• Put the flour and water in a canning jar with a lid, shake it up well, then stir it into the stew. Turn to saute and cook until desired thickness and serve.

Slow Cooker

• If you want to brown the meat, do so in batches on the stovetop and also let the onions get some colour. Then add everything to the slow cooker.
• Add the thyme, rosemary, bay leaf, broth/water, wine and garlic along with the meat and onions. Put the lid on and cook on high for 2-3 hours or low for 4-6 hours.
• After the first time is up, check that your meat is tender. It does not need to be fall apart tender but if it still feels like shoe leather…it should maybe go a bit longer on its own…
• Then add in your celery, carrots, potatoes, and optional parsnips and beets.
• Cook again for 2 hours on high or 3-4 on low.
• When the time is up, check that your vegetables are fork tender and easily mash if you press a chunk against the side of the pot with a fork.
• If you’d like to add any of the frozen vegetables, do so now. I do it at the end so they maintain their bite and don't become mush.
• We like our gravy thick in our stew, so this next step is optional, but really quite delicious. Omit or use cornstarch to keep it gluten-free.
• Shake flour and water in a jar and add to the slow cooker on high. This takes time, so I wouldn't do this if in a time crunch. Cornstarch will work quicker or just enjoy it as a thinner soup.

In the Oven

• Brown the meat in batches in a heavy-bottomed Dutch oven on the stove with some oil. Allow the onions to also get some colour.
• Add the thyme, rosemary, bay leaf, broth/water, wine and garlic along with the meat and onions. Bake at 300°F for 2-3 hours.
• After the first time is up, check that your meat is tender. It does not need to be fall apart tender but if it still feels like shoe leather…it should maybe go a bit longer on its own…
• Then add in your celery, carrots, potatoes, and optional parsnips and beets.
• Return to the oven for 60-90 minutes.
• When the time is up, check that your vegetables are fork tender and easily mash if you press a chunk against the side of the pot with a fork.
• If you’d like to add any of the frozen vegetables, do so now. I do it at the end so they maintain their bite and don't become mush.
• We like our gravy thick in our stew, so this next step is optional, but really quite delicious. Omit or use cornstarch to keep it gluten-free.
• Put the flour and water in a canning jar with a lid, shake it up well, then stir it into the stew. Cook over medium heat on the stove (careful with the hot handles!) until desired thickness and serve.