I scanned a number of recipes for beef stew. There are hundreds!

The proportions vary considerably. Is it possible to make some general
guidelines for the major ingredients (meat and vegetables) to guide
cooking without a specific recipe? That way I could use whatever I
have available, but still be able to stay within those general
guidelines.

Here's what I came up with from averaging 8-10 beef stew recipes.
These are based on 1 pound of beef.

1 lb beef (chuck, flank, lamb, ???)
1 cup oil
1 onion, chopped
1 cup tomatoes or tomato paste
3-4 cups vegetables, chopped
1-2 cups water as needed

Are these rough proportions about right?

In addition, it will need salt, pepper, and other spices.

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