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Technique

brown

Also known as: sear

Cook the surface of meat or vegetables in hot fat until deeply colored -- not to cook it through, but to build flavor through the Maillard reaction, which is often the largest single source of savory depth in a braise or stew. Deeply colored means genuinely brown, not beige: the difference between the two is most of the flavor.

How to do it

Dry the surface thoroughly with paper towels, then preheat a heavy pan and add a thin layer of fat. Place the food in with real space between pieces, and then leave it alone -- it will often stick at first and release on its own once a proper crust has formed. Turn it to brown additional sides, and work in batches rather than crowding the pan.

Common pitfalls

  • Wet food going into the pan -- the surface water has to boil off before real browning can start.
  • Crowding the pan -- steam builds up around the food instead of escaping.
  • Moving the food constantly -- it needs sustained contact with the hot surface to actually brown.
  • Playing it too safe on color -- pale, beige meat hasn't developed nearly the same flavor as something deeply browned.
  • Burning the fond -- brown is flavorful, black and acrid is not.
  • Using a heavily sugared marinade over intense heat -- the sugar can burn before the meat itself has browned properly.

Why it works

The main process behind savory browning is the Maillard reaction: reducing sugars reacting with amino compounds at high heat, generating a huge family of new flavor and aroma molecules. Moisture works against this, since a wet surface stays close to water's boiling point until most of that water has evaporated -- which is exactly why drying the food and avoiding a crowded pan both help the surface reach the temperature range where Maillard reactions actually speed up. This is a different reaction from caramelization, though the two often occur together in the same food.

Equipment

A heavy skillet is ideal. Stainless steel gives excellent fond formation and lets you watch the color develop; cast iron holds heat exceptionally well and builds a strong crust; carbon steel is responsive and handles high heat well. Nonstick can brown food too, but its whole design -- preventing sticking -- also means it builds less fond and suits very high heat less well.

Appears in 51 recipes