Originally Posted by pondering_it_all
I browned the beef, but I just tossed in the onion chunks raw. Does it really make a difference (not sweating the onions and possibly leeks) when you are simmering the stew for an entire day?

sweating the onions adds some sweetness and complexity to their flavour, as scout says the puree also adds colour as well as another subtle note. A good stew is like a melody!

And I forgot the mustard powder (colmans english)!

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(Philip K.Dick)