Wednesday, October 17, 2007 11:56 AM
It’s Crock-Pot stew weather! To brown, or not to brown?
Technically, unless the recipe calls for ground beef (which should be browned and then drained of fat), most slow cooker stew recipes don’t call for browning meat beforehand. Skipping browning not only saves time, it cuts clean-up.
But if we’re talking about flavor and visual appeal—making a meal that’s more Top Chef than Chef Boyardee—the answer is, IMO, yes! meat should be browned before it’s tossed into a slow cooker. Yes, it adds another step and dirties another pot. Or does it? You can use the removable stoneware on some slow cookers, like the Crock-Pot VersaWare (pictured), on your stovetop to brown first, then plop it directly in the cooker.
So what’s the big deal with browning? In a Crock-Pot, you’re braising or stewing meat until it’s fall-apart tender, which can sap some of the characteristic flavor in the process. Browning won’t make beef taste beefier—it doesn’t concentrate flavor or seal in juices, contrary to conventional kitchen wisdom. But the chemical process that takes place when meat is browned (called a Maillard reaction, if you want to get all Harold McGee about it) seriously enriches the flavor of the dish. It's that...brown, roast-y flavor. It also turns liver-y grey meat into that rich, dark shade of brown we associate with tasty food.
Think about it this way: you’ve got two thick slices of potato. One is boiled. The other is browned. Which one will taste better? Feel nicer in your mouth? Look more appealing?
Browning also produces fond, the delicious, crusty bits of browned meat and juice in the bottom of the pan. Deglaze the pan by adding water, wine or broth, and you’ve got even more good stuff to add to your slow cooker brew.
If you’re thinking, ‘Why deal with a slow cooker at all?’, I’ll answer with a question: Would you ever turn your oven or stove on for 12 hours and leave the house? As a former Crock Pot skeptic, I converted for all the same reasons that smarter cooks before me have embraced this gizmo—it’s convenient, clean and low maintenance. But for the love of gravy, brown the meat.
Not convinced? Try this classic Beef Burgundy recipe tailored for slow cookers.
What slow-cooker tricks have you learned over the years?