We've gone too long without a food thread! Thanks, Al!

I like to brown the beef and braise it to make it tender and bring out the flavor, before adding onion, potatoes, and carrots. That is pretty much it for a pot roast; if I'm making stew then I like to also add parsnips (Turnips and Rutabagas or Swedes are too bitter for my appreciation). Season with some Worcestershire sauce, mustard, and red wine. I tend to put garlic in many dishes, but for some reason leave it out of beef stew. Season with a big grind of black pepper, salt (I use non-sodium salt these days), and sometimes some dried oregano or thyme. At the end I thicken the gravy with a little flour (I don't use wheat now, so a non-gluten product, or use cornstarch.)

Chicken stew is a totally different creature, one that doesn't braise, that I usually make with potatoes, carrots, onions, salt, pepper, oregano, and must have green peas added at the end. Make the broth into a gravy same as above.

I wouldn't mind mushrooms in either one, but it isn't a usual ingredient.