Why It Is Important To Brown Meat

Sure it's an extra step, but trust us—it's not one you'll ever skip again.

As you sift through recipes looking for something quick to cook tonight, you may be tempted to ignore any instructions that say, “brown the meat” before diving into subsequent steps. After all, who will know if you skip it just this one time? Everyone who appreciates robust flavors, that’s who—and they would happily wait an extra 10 minutes to eat if that extra time meant a more scrumptious dish.

"If you don’t brown the meat, you are simply making a less-tasty product," says Trevor Stockton, executive chef at The Restaurant at RT Lodge in Maryville, Tennessee. "If you are going through the trouble to purchase your ingredients, prep them, and in a lot of cases cook them for multiple hours, why skimp on time for the step that is going to create the most flavor?"

Turns out, the secret to the best meat of your life is a chemical process called the Maillard reaction—not only for a desirable look and presentation but also to add flavor and texture, says Chef Kathleen Mayo, executive chef of  Farm Haus' new location in Charleston, South Carolina.

What Is the Maillard Reaction?

The Maillard reaction, named after French chemist Louis-Camille Maillard, is the browning reaction that takes place between amino acids and reducing sugars on the surface of proteins as they are cooked at relatively high temperatures.

"While every step of the process is important, the one that will affect your final flavor the most is how well you brown your meat before placing it in the liquid it’s to be cooked in," says Stockton. "Creating that Maillard reaction, where you are caramelizing the proteins and natural sugars in your meat, is building flavor. That flavor will then slowly make its way into the braising liquid and create a depth of flavor you just can’t achieve otherwise."

Related: Does Slow Cooked Meat Need To Be Browned?

What Types of Meats Should Be Browned and When?

Stockton’s kitchen motto is to brown everything, so take that to heart.

"Just keep in mind that stronger flavors like beef and lamb can withstand darker, deeper roasting," he explains, "while with something like chicken you should be a looking for a nice golden brown—otherwise it can get a little bitter."

Of course, there’s no need to stop at meats, either. Mayo says that root and cruciferous vegetables—such as broccoli and cauliflower—all benefit from the taste and texture of browning, too.

"For us, almost every cooking technique has some level of browning,” says Stockton. Whether it’s braising, making a soup, or simply roasting a chicken in a pan—the more direct contact of meat to a hot pan, the more flavor you are going to create."

How To Properly Brown Meat

Creating your own Maillard reaction depends entirely on the type of meat and how large of a cut it is. If it’s a smaller cut, for instance diced beef for a stew, Stockton says you can roast it a little more quickly because you wouldn’t want to overdo it. However, when using a large cut, such as a pork shank or a large bone-in short rib, he says you want to go nice and slow.

"Start with a hot pan and add a decent amount of grapeseed oil," he says. "Place your meat in the pan, and turn the heat to a medium-high. This will allow for a deeper roast that really gets in there, rather than just a quick sear. Searing and roasting are two different things and slowly roasting it will ensure you’re getting the most flavor."

While Stockton starts the roasting with grapeseed oil, he adds a large piece of unsalted butter halfway through to create a browned butter that will further enhance that roasted flavor.

"Ensuring that you have a slow even roast on all sides is essential, and any bit of meat on the outside should be roasted,” he says. “If you leave any parts not browned, you are leaving flavor behind."

Wondering about seasoning? Stockton suggests seasoning your meat one day (or at least 10 hours) ahead of time, then letting it sit uncovered on a rack in the refrigerator. “This will allow the meat to dry a little on the outside which will give you better browning and a better crust,” he explains. “The less moisture on the outside of the meat when you start your browning, the better."

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