Sunday Dinner

A recent effort. No formal instruction consulted ahead of time, just made up based on past experience.

1 package of stew meat (I used beef, pork would work, I don't know about chicken...might break down too much).
1 16 oz can of stewed tomatoes.
1 can of pitted black olives.
2 cups of beef stock (previously made from scratch).
1 large onion.
1 package of mushrooms, sliced.
Olive oil.
Salt and pepper.
1 bay leaf.
1 bottle of red wine.

1 skillet. 1 crockpot. 1 larger skillet or other stove top pot.

Turn on crockpot on high.

Slice onion. Warm skillet. Put in olive oil, warm, then onions (hot pan, cold oil, food won't stick).

When nicely done to your satisfaction (personal choice, from "translucent" to "carmalized"), transfer to crockpot. Open black olives, pour off liquid, place olives in crockpot. Open stewed tomatoes, pour into crockpot. Put in bay leaf. Pour in some red wine, maybe 1/3 bottle.

Next, put olive oil in skillet, salt and pepper stew meat, brown on all sides. Put into crockpot.

Mushrooms: Your choice of browning them or putting into crockpot.

Keep crockpot on high for one hour, then switch to low and as Alton Brown says, just walk away.

6+ hours later, transfer contents of crockpot into stovetop pot. Add more red wine. Put on low, low flame.

Two hours or so later, liquid will reduce quite a bit to a very rich gravy. Boil up some egg noodles, serve stew over egg noodles with good crusty bread, a nice green salad and the rest of the red wine.