Beef chuck is the easier and more affordable option, and produces very good results. Short ribs, especially when combined with their bones, create an even more deeply beefy stew. Ask your butcher to remove and reserve the bones for you if you don't feel comfortable doing it yourself. If you have beef chuck that's already cut into chunks for stewing, we recommend searing only half of them in step 1 and adding the other half raw in step 4. Most store-bought beef stock has poor flavor, which is why we recommend chicken stock instead; if you have good-quality homemade beef stock available, feel free to use it.