Monday evening: Monday, Monday . . .

[liamstliam]

1. It's been looking for Spring for a couple of days. There are new lambs in the field on the way to work. There is at least one baby pig and one calf on the way to work as well. Unrelated: We saw three vultures huddled together in a field the other day, and Alethea saw some of "my" deer and pointed them out.

2. Dinner tonight was sort of a creative Shepherd's Pie, in layers. I sliced the ptatoes thinly, put them in, then browned ground beef with onions and garlic, snow peas (we had them) and covered it all with various cheeses. Three layers total and in the oven. Wiating for it now. Crockpot pot roast tomorrow. (I stopped at the Hickory Grove Smokehouse). You gotta love a place that has intsruction on what to do with arriving pigs posted next tot he cash register.

3. I do have a question. If you do not brown the pot roast before cooking it, what's the difference?

4. I love CD Baby! Great service. Funny e-mails. And you gotta love any place that has a listing for "Angry Folk." The only srtist there right now is described as  "Clannad meets Bob Dylan."

5. This story is one of the reasons that the both the local paper and Upstate New York amuse me so much. Keep reading, it gets more and more amusing.

Comments

[tisiphone.livejournal.com]

I like CD Baby too - some of the few commercial emails (along with Timbuk2's) that have ever actually made me smile.

[ladysprite.livejournal.com]

Browning the meat before you cook it helps create more and better flavor - the heat interacts with the amino acids to break them down and create different flavor compounds.

It's called the Maillard Reaction - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maillard_reaction - and it's the same process that makes pan sauces so yummy. :)

[iknowitsasong.livejournal.com]

Also, it helps sear in some of the juices so the pot roast does not dry out entirely.

[florentinescot.livejournal.com]

3. I do have a question. If you do not brown the pot roast before cooking it, what's the difference?

The browning seals in the juices so the meat's not as dry.

[liamstliam.livejournal.com]

Thanks!

[gingicat]

1. Take pictures, please?

3. Richness of flavor. The Good Eats Fan Page or Cooks Illustrated website should have a good detailed explanation.

[liamstliam.livejournal.com]

Thanks.

Mwaaahhhh.

So the question is, does it make it taste enough better that I get up 10 minutes earlier in the morning to brown it?

[liamstliam.livejournal.com]

Planning on taking the camera tomorrow. My lady needed it today for yarn.

[liamstliam.livejournal.com]

Thanks!

[goldsquare.livejournal.com]

Are you roasting it? Or stewing it? If roasting it, for sure. If stewing it, well, aren't you browning the onions?

It makes a very discernable difference.

[liamstliam.livejournal.com]

I am cooking it in the crockpot.

But I do not want to have too much to do in the morning, because I do not function well.

[aislinn-sca.livejournal.com]

Yes, it should be worth it. IMHO

[goldsquare.livejournal.com]

Brown it now, stick it in the crock pot in the AM?

It'll be fine either way, but you would appreciate the flavor more if browned.

[kandy-elizabet.livejournal.com]

Yes, it's worth it. I've done it both ways, and it's worth it.

Even better, pat it with a little (just a little, mind you) flour or cornstarch (cornstarch is a great asian food trick) before browning -- but you can skip that one if you like.

Oh, and when you're done, while the pan's still hot, put the liquid you're going to use in the browning pan, scrape up the bits (called "fond") and then put the liquid, with the bits, into the crock pot.

If you do it in the evening before, do the trick with the liquid, then put the browned meet and the liquid in a bowl together to wait for tomorrow. I don't put it in the crock, 'cause I'm alwasy afraid that putting the cold crock into the crock pot will cause ickyness (cracked pot)....

The browning is done . . .

[liamstliam.livejournal.com]

And everything's in the crockpot.

[ootwoods.livejournal.com]

You can throw it in at 450, (fat side up) for 10 minutes, and then reduce a roast to 250 to finish cooking, as well. Does basically the same thing, without requiring an extra pot/pan to do it in.

(I'm talking oven roasting, not necessarily pot roasting, but the premise is the same).

High heat = carmelization/sealing. It also makes the aformentioned yummy reaction, with the natural sugars doing all kinds of wonderful things, which later dance on our tongues and enthrall us with all that is good about beef. :)

[iknowitsasong.livejournal.com]

What they said. You can brown it ahead of time. :)