Browning beef for beef stew?
I'm following this recipe.
When they say "brown it," are they saying to just brown the edges....or all the way through? Assuming I just sorta brown the outside (but it's not cooked all the way though), is this safe?
Like the inside of my stew meat won't be cooked, is simmering it for 2 hours or so enough to cook it all the way through? I'm concerned about E. coli and all that nasty stuff.
Thanks!
Best Answer
The idea is to brown the outside of the meat in order to develop the flavour via the Maillard Reaction. This flavour will add to the richness and meatiness of the stew as a whole. Go ahead and give it a good crust. Don't overcrowd the pan or you will just end up steaming the meat in its own juices and it will never brown up: fry it in small batches instead.
Two hours braising in the stewing liquid will easily be enough to cook one-inch cubes of beef all the way through and will easily see off most nasty stuff.
Pictures about "Browning beef for beef stew?"
Should you brown beef before stew?
If you are making a slow cooked recipe that calls for ground beef, like chili, beef stew, or meat sauce, browning the meat beforehand makes a huge difference. Ground meat should always be browned in a skillet and drained before it is added to the slow cooker with the other ingredients.Why do you brown meat before making stew?
The purpose is to caramelize some of the meat's natural sugars. This adds tremendous flavor to the meat and sauce. Care is required to brown meat properly. Ideally, the meat should be browned in a skillet or saute pan, which allows more evaporation than does a deep stew pot.Do you have to Sear beef for stew?
Searing the meat is an essential step for making a great beef stew. This is where the stew really starts to build its deep, rich, flavor.Do you have to flour beef before browning?
The idea behind coating meat with a sprinkling of flour before browning in a hot pan is pretty simple: Flour is full of starch that will caramelize quickly and give a deeper color and flavor. You most often see this technique called for in stews, where flour is used to thicken the cooking liquid.How to Brown Stew Meat in a Skillet : Cooking Meat
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