Browning and De-Glazing Technique for Meat

To really enhance the flavors and hearty, rustic appearance of your soups and stews, this technique is well worth spending a little time to perfect.

Chicken, Pork, Beef, Venison, Elk, Lamb all taste better when this procedure is followed.

When cooking with light colored meat I deglaze with white wine, or on occasion beer for a little heartier finished product.  You could also use chicken stock or plain water.  For all the darker meats I used beer, red wine, Vodka, beef stock or water.

Wash and cut the meat into the desired size pieces.  Be sure to DRY the meat thoroughly on all sides with paper towel.  Wet meat does not brown properly.

Heat a little peppered olive oil and butter in a heavy pan.  Add meat as well as a little finely chopped garlic and onion.  Once the meat begins to sizzle, move it around the pan a little with a flat edge wooden spoon.  Stay with it from this point on, it goes from perfectly browned to burned in no time.  When the meat begins to brown, stick to the pan a bit and leave browning residue on the sides of the pan, add a little of the deglazing liquid.  Let this evaporate, moving and stirring, creating another layer of browning and repeat the process using 3-4 oz. each time.  At the last addition of liquid - and I usually use a total of about 12 oz. - add any chunky vegetables to the soup or stew at this time.  This process also works well for a vegetable stew or soup without meat.