I think that was as good as beef burger stew gets.

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A bit thicker?  Check.  Hotter, right off the bat?  Check.  As well, and this is what put it over the top?  I added a teaspoon of fennel seed.  Oh my word, that and tarragon in with the beef itself?  Oh, that was snazzy.  Delicious.  Butter in with it, if I think I forgot that.  A bit of evoo as a base with the xanthan gum as a mixer, and for added calories.  Plus just a dollop of sour cream on top, in the bowl.  Cheddar would make a good topping, several cheeses would.  Didn't want to add too much though, for the basic testing.

Oh, that is absolutely delicious.  I wasn't really hungry?  Mostly.  As much, though too, I didn't... want the stew.  Burger stew has not been my best work.  I have had it two days before today.  And was burned out of it before the first bowl.  Though, a few adds, changes, enhancements, and... better.  But today?  I would eat that any day of any given week.  Though, not all of them.  Limits.

Making another tea, as I write.  Gaming, and getting places.  Had to skip a few bosses, for now.  And a few mini-bosses.  I'm pretty sure the guides I am watching are on computer, and have mods that make the game easier.  Playing a caster, it made sense we would struggle on different things.  Being lower level, at times, on both of my 'toons, that made sense.  But over-leveled, now, far higher level, and playing a melee, and still getting crushed by things he easily takes?  No... that's rigged.  Still, it's a good guide, it's just not legit play.  Which is fine, I guess.

That is annoying, though.  He, or whoever playing that he narrates for, has a few extra skills... like parrying.  But parrying is very hit or miss, even in pve.  It's legit, until it absolutely fails, or what is being fought uses only non-parriable attacks (rng my ass), or a fight starts with something that can't be parried.  Guess how you find that out?  Dying, over and over.  Until you realize, no, it really ISN'T you.  :p

But that stew warmed the belly, body, mind, fingers.  Hot of spice, and physically hot.  Thick, filling, meaty, vegetal, delicious.  I'm telling you, if you want to make a superior beef burger stew (would probably work well with lamb, too, if you swing that way), fennel, tarragon, perhaps a bit of italian or italian favored herbs, enough salt, and several layers of heat, hot spices.  As hot as you can take it.  Like a sauna for the tonsils!

Anyway... thought I'd do an update on the stew.  Later.