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Just realized there's a big debate on whether browning meat before slow cooking matters...
Last week I made two batches of chili side by side, one with browned beef and one without. The browned batch had way more depth but the unbrowned one was just as tender. Is the extra dirty pan worth it or are we all just following orders?
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jakep2427d ago
the unbrowned one was just as tender" - yeah but tenderness isnt the only thing happening here lol. you hit on the real reason most of us do it without realizing it. the maillard reaction creates all those tiny flavor compounds that water can't pull out, they just float around in the fat. without browning youre basically getting a cleaner stewed meat taste instead of that deep savory thing. i did a test with pork shoulder once, browned half in a skillet and threw the other half in raw. the unbrowned batch just tasted like meat, the browned one tasted like a meal. dirty pan is worth it but if youre lazy just do it in the same pot you'll slow cook in. saves a wash.
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fisher.mason27d ago
tasted like a meal" - totally. did the same with pot roast and yeah, the browned one was way better.
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