Slow Cooker

For Pot Roasts: e.g. Bottom Blade, Brisket, Cross Rib

1. Pat roast dry with paper towel and season. In lightly oiled skillet or Dutch oven, brown roast using medium-high heat. Transfer to appropriate size slow cooker and set aside.
2. Reduce heat to medium. Add oil to pan, if necessary; cook vegetables (such as onion, garlic). Sprinkle with flour; cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add liquid (such as red wine, broth or vinegar); bring to boil, stirring and scraping up brown bits from pan. Pour over beef in slow cooker. Add more liquid (such as broth, tomatoes, canned soup) to come a quarter of the way up the roast.
3. Cover and cook on LOW for 8 to 10 hours or on HIGH for 4 to 6 hours, until beef is fork-tender.
4. Transfer roast to cutting board, cover loosely with foil and let rest for 15 minutes. Skim fat from sauce and season to taste. Carve roast across the grain into thin slices and serve with sauce. 

For Stewing Beef and Short Ribs

1. Pat short ribs dry with paper towel. Season all over with salt and pepper to your taste.
2. Add a splash of sunflower or canola oil to a heavy deep skillet; heat over medium-high heat.
3. Add beef, in batches as necessary without overcrowding pan; cook about 10 minutes, turning with tongs, until browned all over. Transfer to a slow cooker.
4.  Add chopped vegetables (such as onion, sweet pepper and garlic) to pot if desired and cook until softened. Add liquid (such as canned soup or tomatoes, broth or red wine) and bring to boil, scraping up brown bits from bottom of pan. Pour over beef in slow cooker. Ensure there is enough liquid to just cover the beef.
5. Cover and cook on LOW for 8 to 10 hours or on HIGH for 4 to 5 hours. Skim any fat from sauce and discard.