This stew hit such a sweet spot of convenience, tastiness, economy, and vegetable density that I cooked it weekly for about 2 years, eating the leftovers for several days of each week. It's mostly based off of Mark Bittman's Beef Stew with Guinness (the url is broken, sadly) and the Classic Beef Stew recipe from his How to Cook Everything (p. 435).
I get the packs of stewing beef at the closest Superstore. The price is usually fine and I enjoy the variety of cuts they contain and the intermediate fat content. Mark Bittman recommends round or chuck. In Canada I think chuck is called either blade or shoulder. Blade is the more flavourful of the two but it's maybe too fatty, and the flavour isn't always the best. Round is relatively tough, bland, and lean, but it's consistent and I consider it the safer choice. Round roast also seems more likely to be available.
I've cooked this many times, some browning the beef and some