Why Do You Brown Meat?

A frequent question I am asked: Why is it important to brown meat?



Answer: Developing richness of flavor is the ultimate goal. Browning the meat is a very important step to this process. A nice dark brown is ideal for beef and game meat when making a braise or a stew. This takes about 10 minutes per side. Chicken and pork are best with a medium colored browning, which is about 5 to 7 minutes per side. That being said, when I plan on a pulled pork dish I will take that pork to the darkest brown I can. If you have ever wondered why “Aunt Sally’s” roast beef is so much better than yours, even though it is the same recipe, it just might be the quality of the browning of the meat.

What is needed to brown meat?

A good heavy pot is essential.

Fat. I tend to shave off extra fat from the edges of the meat if it has good marbling (the appearance of thin lines of white fat) through-out the meat. Pork tends to have plenty of marbling, whereas game generally does not. Get rid of all the fat and skin on bone in chicken. Be aware that bone-in chicken will be more moist than deboned chicken.

Olive Oil. Just oil enough to cover the bottom of the pot. Add more if needed, especially with game meat. Remember, olive oil is the good fat and actually dissolves the nasty fat that accumulates on our organs.

Here is a recipe to try out your browning techniques. I saw this recently on one of the blog sites I frequent…sorry whoever, I don’t recall where I pulled it. I did alter it significantly.

Shredded Pork Shoulder

4 to 5 pound pork shoulder, bone-in

1 spring fresh tarragon
2 Tablespoon brown sugar
2 teaspoons cumin
1 Tablespoon smoked paprika
1/2 tablespoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1 Tablespoon olive oil (estimate)
1 medium sweet onion, peeled and cut into small pieces
5-6 medium carrots, peeled and cut into quarters, lengthwise
4 cloves of garlic, peeled
1 14-ounce can diced tomatoes
1 12-ounce beer such as Altitudes Chili Beer

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.

Trim the pork shoulder of any thick layers of fat. Combine the brown sugar, cumin, paprika, salt, and pepper in a small bowl. Rub the pork with the spice mixture, getting into crevices and on the sides. Allow the pork to sit for about 30 minutes.

Heat the olive oil in a large dutch oven over medium high heat. Brown the pork on all sides. Remove the meat from the pot. Add the onions and saute on medium low heat for 2 minutes then drop the heat to low then continue to caramelize the onions for at least 10 more minutes. Add the garlic, carrots and tomatoes and bring to a simmer, scraping the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon to bring up any browned bits. (why wooden? It just feels better than metal which grates on the pan or silicon that may miss some of the good stuff.)

Return the pork to the pot with the tarragon. Cover and put in the oven for 3 1/2 to 4 hours. Add the beer after 1 hour. Cook until the meat is extremely tender and pulls away from the bone easily. Shred the pork in the pot. Discard the bone or set aside for another use.

Enjoy!