I put a bit of plain flour in a plastic bag with a few dried herbs, salt and pepper. Cut the beef into pieces whatever size you like, then add them to the bag and toss them about till they are well coated. Fry the flour coated pieces in hot oil till they are brown all over - this adds flavour and will thicken the gravy. Put the meat into a casserole dish with onions, carrots, and whatever else you fancy. Pour some beef stock into the pan you fried the meat and stir it well to get all the bits of meat that might be stuck onto the pan, (a bit of red wine is good too) then add the stock to the casserole. Cover it with a double layer of foil then a close fitting lid. Cook at a very very low temperature for at least 3-4 hours and the meat will be lovely and tender, the gravy will be thick and tasty and your house will smell divine! And - if you have time, let it cool down, put it in the fridge and reheat it the following day because it will taste even better then.