Should I clean the pan between batches of browning
I am a proponent of browning meat at high temperature to get the maillard reaction prior to whatever remaining cooking steps there may be. I usually use a large stainless steel pan and a quantity of food small enough such that once added the pan doesn't cool down much at all. In cases when I have only one batch to brown I end up deglazing the same pan and the fond from the browning ends up mixing with some liquid for a sauce in later cooking stages and this works out well!
However if I have lots of meat to brown I always do this in batches to avoid the pan cooling and the meat steaming instead of browning due to over crowding. My big question is: should I clean the pan between batches? Do people do this?
I find that between batches I like to get the heat back up prior to letting the raw meat hit the pan. It's during this reheating that remnants of food from previous batches can start to burn which causes problems.
Sometimes with solid cuts of meat the fond is minimal or not too hard to scrape off. Recently with some ground pork mince I had a real hard time avoiding burning and smoking between batches. What do people recommend? Should I reserve the oil from the pan, take the time to scrape off partially overcooked fond (maybe even wash), so that I can get it nice and hot again (re-adding the oil) without worrying about burning and ruining flavor and smoking up the kitchen in the process?
Best Answer
I don't think there is a definitive answer to that.
You could remove some of the fat and small residues between batches to prevent them from burning.
You can also lower the temperature, it will take a little more time to brown the meat.
This recipe suggest to deglaze between batches and keep the juices for later use in the recipe.
http://www.thekitchn.com/recipe-template-how-to-make-be-107019
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Quick Answer about "Should I clean the pan between batches of browning"
You could remove some of the fat and small residues between batches to prevent them from burning. You can also lower the temperature, it will take a little more time to brown the meat. This recipe suggest to deglaze between batches and keep the juices for later use in the recipe.How do you brown meat without burning the pan?
Just as water turns to steam when it is heated, oil turns to smoke at a certain temperature. Canola, peanut and grapeseed oils work well for searing because of their high smoke point and neutral taste. They can withstand the high temperatures needed for searing without burning.Is burnt fond OK?
As long as it doesn't smell burnt it should still taste good. Some chefs like to brown or fully cook meat in one pan before using the fond to saut\xe9 vegetables in the same pan. This allows the fat and the flavor of the meat to seep into the vegetables making them even tastier.Can you brown meat in a nonstick pan?
When cooking meats, especially those like steak or chicken breast, nonstick won't give you the crispiness or all-over browning you're aiming for. Use a thin layer of oil on cast-iron or stainless steel pans for an evenly-cooked, delicious dinner. Try it out with the best cast iron steak recipe.How do you clean a cast iron skillet after use?
Clean cast-iron skillet after every useWipe interior surface of still-warm skillet with paper towels to remove any excess food and oil. Rinse under hot running water, scrubbing with nonmetal brush or nonabrasive scrub pad to remove any traces of food. (Use small amount of soap if you like; rinse well.)Browning Chicken or Meat
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