Things I learned while making Beef Stewbr br Get a cheap cut of beef. Ask for Stewing Beef. It's going to break down from being cooked for a long time so it doesn't matter if it's tough. br br Sear with nothing or just a little bit of oil. You can cook the hell out of it, until it's kinda burnt. I messed this up by adding broth which kept it from searing. A lot of people pat the meat down to make it as dry as possible first. br br When I make this again I am going to use veggie broth. To me it's fuller flavored than beef broth. I might use cubes and make it slightly stronger. br br So cut the beef up, sear it, then put it in a pot with your broth and start cooking it low and slow. The beef takes longer and if you put in everything together the veggies will fall apart. Feel free to give this an hour head start. br br Saute your onions, brown them for flavor, then throw them in. Chop up your potatoes and carrots and throw them in. br br Seasoning: I would have started this whole thing with garlic. Really helps to fill out the flavor. I would press a couple cloves in. Salt and pepper. a squirt of dijon. A pinch of chilis for some bite. And a couple herbs don't hurt (thyme and oregano). br br Basically keep adjusting but also give it time to cook through. This took a bunch of fiddling as I went but it turned out really good.