Brown the cubed meat in the oil, add two cups of water, then the rest of the ingredients. Cover and simmer 1 1/2 hours. Remove bay leaves, add carrots and potatoes, cook another 30-45 minutes or until tender. As a footnote, I've just browned the meat, then dumped everything in the "crockpot" on low. It produces a stew that tastes as tho' it already been reheated several times. IMHO, that's the best stew.