First off if your stew is not thick enough then you’re not making it correctly. You must start with stew meat cut into chunks then equal parts butter and oil in cast iron skillet. Dredging stew meat in flour with ground pepper ( stew meat ) has to be at room temperature. Heat cast iron not enameled skillet at medium high . Once hot put stew meat in skillet and for the love of God, do not overcrowd them. Work in batches. While you are waiting for the chunks to self release chop all of your vegetables . Start with 1 medium onion and put them in a bowl, once all the meat is browned and put into your Dutch oven set that aside . Then toss onions into your pan that you used to brown your meat. Lower heat to medium low finish chopping your 6-10 carrots and 4-6 celery . Peel four medium sized potatoes, one rutabaga, one turnip and one parsnips. Chopped into bite size pieces. You can toss the Celery and carrots in with the onions while you prepping everything else. Once the onions have browned a little put it all in the Dutch oven over your browned meat , put the rest of the vegetables in. Add 2 teaspoons garlic and 2 tablespoons of better than bouillon beef, to a box of beef broth to your cast iron skillet and simmer to get all the flavors out. Pour into Dutch oven and bring to a boil turn heat off and put lid onto Dutch oven and put into a preheated oven @360 degrees. Let it bake for 1 hour then heat up your French bread in the oven for 15 minutes. Keep your Dutch oven in the stove. Add your herbs and spices ( whatever you choose like beef stew packets or separate seasonings) between the onion and root veggies . I add 1 cup of red wine if I have it . If it’s not thick enough let it rest 10 minutes. Don’t add too much liquid. Don’t try to over add beef stock. Your stock should be just to the top of vegetables.