Should I brown meat for a stew before freezing it?
I bought some meat to make a stew sometime in the future. Is it best to brown the meat before I freeze it, or should I freeze it raw?
Best Answer
It might save you a few minutes when you decide to use it. Meat that has been frozen takes a bit longer to brown, since it will exude a bit more moisture.
But it's probably not worth it. Browning meat, then cooling it to freeze, is a huge hassle. Plus, you'll lose the fond on the bottom of your pan (unless you de-glaze and save that too.) That's a huge amount of flavor loss. You might as well just make the stew and freeze that (which is also good).
If you're going to freeze the meat, freeze it in the form that you got it. Defrost carefully (in the fridge, not the counter) and dry it thoroughly (e.g. paper towels) before browning.
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Quick Answer about "Should I brown meat for a stew before freezing it?"
Remember, you do not want to fully cook the meat - just brown the surface. Remove beef to a heat proof dish to cool, repeat the process, in several more batches, until done. Once meat has cooled, package it for the freezer, and freeze.Should you brown meat before freezing?
It might save you a few minutes when you decide to use it. Meat that has been frozen takes a bit longer to brown, since it will exude a bit more moisture. But it's probably not worth it. Browning meat, then cooling it to freeze, is a huge hassle.Can you freeze raw stewing beef?
How long does raw beef stew meat last in the freezer? Properly stored, it will maintain best quality for about 3 to 4 months, but will remain safe beyond that time. The freezer time shown is for best quality only - beef stew meat that has been kept constantly frozen at 0\xb0F will keep safe indefinitely.How do you freeze stew meat?
Always remove fresh stew meat from its original packaging before freezing, because the meat counter's packaging is intended only for short-term use. For long-term freezer storage, wrap the stew meat in airtight wrapping such as freezer wrap, heavy-duty aluminum foil or a good-quality plastic freezer bag.Should meat be cooked before freezing?
\u201cRaw meat and poultry maintain their quality longer (when frozen) than their cooked counterparts because moisture is lost during cooking.\u201d \u201cMeat and poultry defrosted in the refrigerator may be refrozen before or after cooking. If thawed by other methods, cook before refreezing.\u201dHuge Mistakes Everyone Makes When Cooking Beef Stew
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Answer 2
A single portion is not really worth it but a few possible advantages
- You don't want to take the time to brown when it comes time to make the stew
- Browned you would not need to wait for it to fully thaw before adding to the stew.
- You are prepping multiple stews. Put each batch in a freezer bag and reuse the pan. You only have to clean the pan once.
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