Beef Stew with Chilis and Green Peppers

I started with a recipe for something else, but the stew evolved as I made it. The end result was amazing, with one of the best broths ever. My changes are in italics.

Beef Stew with Poblanos, Tomatillos, and Potatoes
From Cooking Light

Tomatillos lend this Latin-inspired stew tangy taste, while roasted poblano chiles offer modest heat. Look for canned tomatillos with the Latin/Mexican foods in your grocery store.

2 poblano chiles (ancho chilies, rough chopped)
1 tablespoon olive oil, divided
2 cups chopped onion
1/3 cup all-purpose flour (about 1 1/2 ounces)
2 pounds lean beef stew meat, cut into bite-sized pieces
1 teaspoon salt, divided
1 (12-ounce) pale Mexican beer (such as Corona)
2 cups water (Skipped this)
1 cup chopped green bell pepper (about 1 medium)
1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
6 garlic cloves, minced
1 (28-ounce) can tomatillos, drained and crushed (I was going to use a jar of tomatillo salsa, but as I was making the stew, I began to question the age of the salsa. I left it out)
1 (14-ounce) can less-sodium beef broth
6 cups (1-inch) cubed peeled white potato (about 2 pounds)(more like 2 cups)
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3/4 cup (3 ounces) crumbled queso fresco (didn't have any)
Chopped fresh cilantro (optional)

Preheat broiler.

Place poblano chiles on a foil-lined baking sheet; broil 10 minutes or until blackened and charred, turning chiles occasionally. Place in a heavy-duty zip-top plastic bag; seal. Let stand 15 minutes. Peel chiles; cut in half lengthwise. Discard seeds and membranes. Chop chiles; set aside.
(Obviously, I skipped this step)

Heat 1 teaspoon oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Saute dried chiles for about five minutes, remove and transfer to crockpot Add onion; sauté 10 minutes or until onion is tender and golden brown. Spoon onion into a large bowl. (I transferred to crockpot)

Place flour in a shallow bowl or pie plate. Dredge beef in flour, shaking off excess. Heat remaining 2 teaspoons oil in pan over medium-high heat. Add half of beef mixture; sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon salt. Cook 6 minutes, browning on all sides. Add browned beef to onion. Repeat procedure with remaining beef mixture and 1/4 teaspoon salt.

Add beer to pan, scraping pan to loosen browned bits. Add chopped chiles, 2 cups water, pepper, oregano, cumin, garlic, tomatillos, and beef broth; bring to a simmer. (This is the bit where I left out the tomatillos and water. I then transferred everything to the crockpot and simmered on high for 2 hours) Stir in the beef mixture. Cover, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer for 1 hour or until beef is just tender.
At this point, I removed the chunks of dried ancho from the broth and pureed them, then added them back. The potato went in and I simmered for another hour or so.Stir in potato. Simmer, uncovered, 50 minutes or until beef and potato are very tender and sauce is thick, stirring occasionally. Stir in remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and black pepper. Ladle 1 1/3 cups stew into each of 8 bowls; sprinkle each serving with 1 1/2 tablespoons cheese. Garnish with cilantro, if desired.