<RJ> wrote:

> I've always been puzzled that so many crock recipes do not
> call for browning the meat before putting it in the pot.
>
> I've tried it a few times, and somehow, the cooked meat
> seems "unfinished".....
>
> And yet these are books supplied by the crock manufacturer.
> ( you'd think they know what they're doing )

Most crockpots are not capable of browning the meat, so they omit that step,
because they don't want the cook to have to dirty another cooking vessel.

There are lots of curry recipes in which you don't brown the meat; maybe you
could try some of those. Similarly, there are some non-crockpot recipes
(such as corned beef & cabbage, the boiled beef that Christine posts about,
some chili recipes, or New England boiled dinner) where you don't brown the
meat; I'd expect those to work fine in the crockpot. But for most stews or
braises, omitting the browning step means sacrificing flavor and body.

Basically, I guess I'm saying that the books supplied by the manufacturer
suck. You're better off either finding conventional recipes which can be
adapted to the crockpot or adding in the browning step on your own, even
though it means dirtying more dishes.

Bob