"Harlan Messinger" > wrote in message
...
> An article in this month's Gourmet discusses Harold McGee, author of
> "On Food and Cooking", which many restaurant kitchens, reportedly, use
> as a bible, and which is coming out in an entirely reworked edition
> next month. According to the article, "the original [edition] is
> renowned for having destroyed the myth, popularized in the mid-1800s
> by German chemist Justus von Liebig, that searing meat would seal in
> its juices."
>
> I've made any number of current recipes that call for browning meat
> before braising or stewing it. Is McGee mistaken? Are the authors of
> these recipes out of touch with modern science on the subject? Is the
> pre-searing being done for some reason other than to seal in the
> juices? Or can I safely skip the inconvenience of the browning step
> from now on?
>

The browning is important because the high heat causes the formation of many
flavor compunds in the surface of the meat, resulting in a much tastier end
product. Do not skip it!


--
Peter Aitken

Remove the crap from my email address before using.