Step 1: Read the Problem Carefully

Before you turn on the stove, read the recipe all the way through.

Most people don’t.

That’s mistake number one — in math and in cooking.

Season the meat generously with salt and pepper.

Heat olive oil in a heavy pot over medium-high heat.

Brown the meat in batches.

Not all at once.

Crowding the pan lowers the temperature, just like rushing through a problem lowers accuracy.

Step 2: The False Confidence Phase

Remove the meat and set it aside.

Lower the heat slightly.

Add onions to the same pot.

They’ll soak up the browned bits — the hidden information people overlook when they jump to conclusions.

Cook slowly until translucent.

Add garlic.

Then tomato paste.

Stir and let it darken slightly.

This step looks optional.

It isn’t.

Skipping it is like ignoring order of operations.