Stovetop Cooking Instructions:

1. Heat the oil in a large pot.
2. Brown the meat in batches, about 5 minutes per batch.
3. It’s important not to crowd the pot, otherwise the meat will burn instead of brown.
4. Remove the meat and add the onions, garlic and Italian seasoning to the pan.
5. Cook for about 2 minutes.
6. Add the beef back into the pot along with broth, vinegar and bay leaves, 1 teaspoon salt.
7. Bring to a boil, then cover and simmer for 2 hours.
8. At this point the meat will be tender, the onions will almost “dissolve” and thicken the sauce. 
9. After 2 hours, add the vegetables and 1 teaspoon salt. Continue cooking for about 30 minutes more, or until vegetables are tender.

Crockpot Slowcooker Instructions:

1. Add the oil to a large pan, and heat it over medium-high heat.
2. Once the oil is hot, add the cubed beef in batches to the pan.
3. When the beef has been adequately browned transfer it to the crockpot (don't turn the pot on just yet though).
4. Now in the same pan you cooked the beef in, add the onion, garlic, a teaspoon of salt, and Italian seasoning to the pan.
5. Cook for about 2 minutes - just enough time to soften up the onion - and then add the mixture to your crockpot slow cooker.
6. Add the remaining ingredients.
7. Close the crockpot and cook for 3-4 hours on high, or 7-8 hours on low.
8. Once the meat is sufficiently tender, remove the beef stew from the pot, and serve hot.