Crock Pot Beef Tips & Gravy

It's cold.  Darn cold.  The high today is -7.  It wouldn't be bad if that was Celsius but unfortunately it's Fahrenheit.  For me, it meant putting in some kitchen and crafting time since it's too cold to venture out.  That's not all bad either.  One of the first things I made was cookies (recipe coming later this week) and then I put these beef tips in the crock pot to slowly tenderize and cook all day.  Great for serving over egg noodles or mashed potatoes.

Crock Pot Beef Tips & Gravy

1# sirloin steak (mine was 1.3#)
extra virgin olive oil

Dredge ~
1/2 cup flour
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper

Heat a couple tablespoons of olive oil in a pan.  Cube the steak while you are waiting for the oil and pan to heat.  Combine all the ingredients and roll the steak cubes in the mixture before placing into the hot pan.  Lightly brown on all sides before placing in the crock pot.  Add more olive oil as needed.  In the last batch, add in 1 small onion that is minced.  Place the remaining beef and onions in the crock pot and deglaze the pan with 1/4 cup burgundy.  Add in 2 1/2 cups beef broth and place the crock pot on medium heat.  Cook for at least 4 hours.  A half hour before serving, mix together 2 tbsp. corn starch and 1/4 cup cold water and stir into the crock pot gravy to thicken.  Turn up the heat a notch and allow it to thicken.