With soups and stews, it may seem like you can just throw all of your ingredients into a pot, cover them with some water, and start simmering away. However, if you do, it's likely to result in a stew that's much less flavorful than it would be if you were to take a few extra steps. One of the most important steps you shouldn't skip when trying to make a deeply delicious beef stew? Browning the beef.