I love stew. I think there are a few essential things to do,then the rest is up to you and what you like - like leaving out parsnips if you don't like them! 1) make sure you trim the meat well. I hate finding nasty bits of fat or gristle on the meat. 2)toss the meat in a little flour and brown well in some oil, then soften the onion. Do you like garlic? If so, add that now to the onion. 3) do you like wine in your stew? You can add wine, water or stock. 4) decide on which herbs you like. Bay, thyme, parsley...... 5) you can continue to add veggies at stage 2 like celery or carrots. 6) you can fry off som bacon chunks and mushrooms and add them to the stew half an hour before the end of cooking. Have fun inventing your "stew style"!

I too grind my own beef with a Kitchenaid grinder attachment. I use chuck and put it through twice. I'm going to try doing it partially frozen now--that is a great idea. I also find that I can throw in some fresh parsley or whatever other herb and grind that right in too--when I lived in Morocco they would ask if you wanted a handful of herbs in your meat before they ground it, and it was delicious that way. I read Fast Food Nation a few years ago and in the descriptions of the slaughterhouses it sounded like most of the bacterial contamination of the meat is on the outside of the piece of meat from splashing (ick). So I think there is probably less contamination of the ground beef if you wash the whole piece and then grind it. In the store, it isn't getting washed, and so the bacteria on the outside gets ground into the ground beef.

Beef ribs These came out really good. Husband loved! Rub down with your favorite rub. (I just sprinkle generously with seasoning salt, pepper, garlic powder and onion powder) Wrap tightly in foil and refrigerate over night. Bring to room temperature. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Cook for 4 hours (in the foil). Turn on broiler. Remove from foil. Drizzle ribs with olive oil (I brushed with just a little BBQ sauce) and char for about two minutes per side. This is another favorite. I think I got this from someone here, years and years ago! Mustard Short Ribs 4 lbs. beef short ribs 1/3 C prepared mustard 1 TB sugar 2 TB lemon juice 1 tsp salt 1/2 tsp pepper 2 cloves garlic, crushed 4 medium onions, sliced Place beef ribs in shallow glass dish. Mix mustard, sugar, lemon juice, salt, pepper & garlic; spread over beef. Top with onions. Cover and refrigerate, turning beef occasionally, about 24 hours. Brown ribs on the stove. Place ribs in casserole dish or Dutch oven and pour in marinade and onions. Cover and bake in 325 oven about 3-1/2 to 4 hours.

What Lars said. What dcarch said. I like avocado oil for its high heat tolerance. I do like 'toasted' sesame oil, and just a bit, a scant tsp to taste....lots of flavor using so little. Also makes a super salad dressing...the toasted sesame....and again just use a tsp and to taste. But add the sesame to a later final mix...not early on. I often do the usual quick stir fry, any favorite method with mixed veggie, remove the veg to platter, then toss in the meat of choice...(the wok is nice and hot at this point)...sear the slivered beef/chicken quickly. When the wok is dry-ish, the meat seared, i have a few prepped containers/small bowls of last minute additions that are a mix of moisture and fresh veg that needs very little stovetop/wok heat...like last minute green onion, cilantro,...and a mix of liquid like a tbsp or less of sesame oil, fish sauce, soy, splash of ac vinegar, grated ginger, etc. And i do often add a bit, a 1/4 cup of water, a tsp-ish of a thickening starch. (we don't like a goo sauce but a bit of corn starch adds a glossy coating that sticks) A bit of a dance to figure out what works in your own kitchen and your flavor preferences...but just having a waiting mix of liquid flavors in a small bowl mixed quickly with a fork to add last minute will give you a nice sauce to then pour over your waiting veggies. (garnish with what is left behind, intentionally, in those bowls)...some cilantro, celery leaves, green onions, ginger...a slice of fresh lime on the edge of the plate to squeeze at the table. : ) Such a fast and satisfying meal.