Food geek
Browning meat
It may not be the sexiest technique in cookery but it’s a flavour game-changer. Whether you’re cooking a juicy steak, roast or ragù, browning the meat is often a key first step. Here’s the science behind why – and how to do it
PHOTOGRAPHS AND ILLUSTRATIONS: GETTY IMAGES
“Browning produces f lavour compounds, which vary with the temperature, cooking time and chemical make-up of the food. These give browned meat its tantalising aroma and taste”
Food writer (and self-confessed food obsessive) Lucas Hollweg
Searing meat starts a complex chain of reactions that adds flavour
The science-y bit
1 The basics Browning involves initially cooking meat at a temperature that’s high enough to brown/colour the surface. When you sear a steak, for instance, the aim is to give it a dark brown crust. Steaks and other small pieces of meat are usually seared in a pan, but with larger joints browning can be done in the oven – as when you roast a joint at 220ºC fan/gas 9 for 20 minutes to give it colour, for example, before reducing the temperature