Since no one has mentioned crock pot, here is how I do mine..
2 pkgs Lipton Recipe Secrets soup mix, you can mix golden onion, beefy onion, onion mushroom etc... Mix in enough water to cover the meat + about an inch. Taste the broth, you want it plenty strong and salty. Cook on High about 5 hours, until a fork breaks off pieces of the meat easily.
(You can mix in a few good shakes of Wonder flour now, or you can wait until after the meat cooks and take some of the broth, heat it in a skillet and whisk in wonder flour and water as necessary to make gravy.)
My favorite trick is to mix in about 1 1/2 TBSP of Alessi Raspberry Infused Balsamic Vinegar (I think they label it Raspberry Blush now) and it will impart a wonderful raspberry flavor and aroma to the gravy. If you don't think raspberry and a hearty beefy gravy don't go together you haven't LIVED! This stuff is TONGUE SLAPPIN' YO JAWS GOOD!
Serve this with some Sister Shubert's yeast rolls, OMG you can have the meat, give me the biscuits and GRAVY!