1. Trim any visible fat from the meat. Rinse the meat, and pat it dry with paper towels. Spread the garlic over both sides of the meat, and sprinkle both sides with pepper.
2. Coat a large cast iron skillet or Dutch oven with nonstick cooking spray, and preheat over medium-high heat. Place the meat in the skillet, and brown it for 2 minutes on each side. Remove the skillet from the heat, and spread the onions over the meat Place the bay leaves and tomato juice in the bottom of the skillet, cover the skillet tightly, and bake at 325 °F for 1 hour and 45 minutes.
3. Remove the skillet from the oven, and carefully remove the cover. (Steam will escape.) Place the potatoes and carrots around the meat, cover the skillet tightly, and return it to the oven for another 45 minutes, or until the meat and vegetables are tender. Transfer the meat and vegetables to a serving platter, and keep warm.
4. To make the gravy, discard the bay leaves and pour the meat drippings into a fat separator cup. (If you don't have a separator cup, pour the drippings into a bowl, add a few ice cubes, and skim off the fat once it rises and hardens.) Pour the fat-free drippings into a 2-cup measure, and add enough water to bring the volume up to 1 1/2 cups. Pour the mixture into a 1-quart saucepan, add the bouillon granules, and bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat.
5. Combine the flour and water in a jar with a tight-fitting lid, and shake until smooth. Slowly pour the flour mixture into the boiling gravy. Cook and stir until the gravy is thickened and bubbly.