Unnecessary things.

Thank you for that info from your butcher, daddima. I've been unconvinced about "sealing in" meat juices for many a year and so have tended not to bother with it much. Nice to have my evidential observations confirmed by someone who ought to know.

Caramelising onions is another matter entirely. Caramelised onions are fab.

I always brown meat and onions.

I usually brown and sometimes then continue cooking in the same pan. I can then get away with the cheaper fattier meat and skim/pour the excess off. For stews I like to coat the meat in seasoned flour and mix it in with the fat as this then thickens the gravy.
Yes to browned onion and garlic base too!

I.always brown onions and garlic then the meat. .......adds to the taste in my opinion.

Never brown either. Waste of time.

I never brown anything either but then again I m no expert,just chuck it in and hope for the best. If only I had a dog it would be the best fed animal ever.lol

Browning the onions certainly makes a difference as the sugars in the onions caramelise and that adds to the flavour.

Never brown!

When I do one and a half kilos of braising steak in the slow cooker I never brown as it takes forever, I do fry the onions and streaky bacon and then layer it up. It tastes just fine.

Sometimes I do and sometimes I don't no one ever commented about the taste so I assume its always the same.. I do use extra lean mince so there isn't any fat to take off.