On Sun, 08 Dec 2013 06:00:11 -1000, dsi1
> wrote:

>On 12/8/2013 4:53 AM, Brooklyn1 wrote:
>> On Sat, 07 Dec 2013 16:35:54 -1000, dsi1
>> > wrote:
>>
>>> On 12/6/2013 7:07 PM, Julie Bove wrote:
>>>>
>>>> I have seen Martin Yan do it. He used cornstarch. Tiny bit!
>>>
>>> Chinese cooks will do this for deep frying. I marinate sliced beef with
>>> shoyu and cornstarch for stir fry. It's a great technique.
>>
>> Velveting.
>>
>
>In my awesome opinion, it's not Chinese velveting because you have to
>use baking soda which changes the character of the meat into something a
>little gross. The Chinese use baking soda to tenderize and rubberize the
>meat. I use cornstarch to facilitate rapid browning under high heat. My
>stir fry does not come out like Chinese stir fry and that's intentional.

Stop flapping your anus... what you know about cooking I forget before
my first birthday... what a moroon!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Velveting
http://www.seriouseats.com/2011/04/v...ornstarch.html

On 12/8/2013 11:22 AM, Brooklyn1 wrote:
>
> Stop flapping your anus... what you know about cooking I forget before
> my first birthday... what a moroon!
>
> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Velveting
> http://www.seriouseats.com/2011/04/v...ornstarch.html
>

I'm not taking any of your Wikipedia link or Asian cooking advice from
you. I used the technique when I was a kid. It does not involve not
using baking soda. That other stuff is what Westerner's call
"velveting." Feel free to call it that - just don't lecture me on the
subject.

Didn't you get the memo that said my opinion is awesome and yours is
mostly internet learnin'? Now shut yer trap! 👅

Right..dust it with flour and brown it first.

In article >,
jmcquown > wrote:
>On 12/6/2013 3:33 AM, wrote:
>> I'm going to try a beef stew in the crock pot on Sunday. I never made it before.
>> The several recipes I found on line say to dust the meat in flour and put it
>> into the crock pot. I'm wondering if I would do better to brown it first, or
>> does it matter? And if I brown it, do I dust it in flour first, or do I dust in
>> flour after browning? It just seems I saw someplace that meat should be browned
>> before going in a slow cooker. Thanks.
>>
>Here's my two cents. Crockpot or not, I brown the meat for beef stew
>(or a pot roast) simply because it looks better. It also seems to taste
>better when you get to the end result.
>
>When I was first learning how to cook I used to dredge cubed beef in
>seasoned flour when making beef stew. Because the recipes said I
>should. I figured out later, the flour thing really isn't necessary. I
>would season and brown the meat before putting it in the crock pot.
>
>I have never had luck adding flour to simmering stews towards the end.
>It always winds up lumpy. I use a slurry of cornstarch as a thickener
>(if needed) instead.

I brown the meat naked (the meat, not me). Then I saute the mirepoix,
and stir in flour when the vegetables are soft. Mix in liquids and then
back in with the meat. Always comes out smooth. Works for stew and
pot roast.

Cindy Hamilton
--

My MIL taught me how to make the most awesome stews & pot roasts. She floured and browned the meat with carrots & onions and dehydrated soup greens. Brown pretty well, then add hot water, a cup or 3, and let it cook down and brown the meat again really well. Then add the rest of the water for stew or pot roast. This double browning(almost burning) method results in the best gravy and flavor you've ever had. And she used some bacon fat along with oil to brown in. And strain the gravy for pot roast, squishing as much of the cooked veggies thru the strainer. YUM. The carrots are a big part of the key to the flavor.
You'll have to go a long way to get better gravy and flavor than this recipe.

"Nanzi" > wrote in message
...
> My MIL taught me how to make the most awesome stews & pot roasts. She
> floured and browned the meat with carrots & onions and dehydrated soup
> greens. Brown pretty well, then add hot water, a cup or 3, and let it cook
> down and brown the meat again really well. Then add the rest of the water
> for stew or pot roast. This double browning(almost burning) method results
> in the best gravy and flavor you've ever had. And she used some bacon fat
> along with oil to brown in. And strain the gravy for pot roast, squishing
> as much of the cooked veggies thru the strainer. YUM. The carrots are a
> big part of the key to the flavor.
> You'll have to go a long way to get better gravy and flavor than this
> recipe.

Pretty much how I do mine but I use stock instead of water)

--
http://www.helpforheroes.org.uk/shop/

On Mon, 09 Dec 2013 15:14:33 GMT, (Cindy Hamilton)
wrote:

> I brown the meat naked (the meat, not me). Then I saute the mirepoix,
> and stir in flour when the vegetables are soft. Mix in liquids and then
> back in with the meat. Always comes out smooth. Works for stew and
> pot roast.

You put flour in at the beginning? I should try that sometime. What
works and I don't know why, but it works is exactly what you said
about stirring the flour into your vegetables and then adding the
liquid. I did it that way last night with a roast. I'd cut up a
pound of mushrooms and roasted them at 400° for 10-15 minutes - truth
be told, I hit the timer wrong so it didn't start and had no reminder
to check them until hubby came in, saw the steam coming out of the
vent and asked me what was in the oven. I thought may have burned
them, but they were perfect. So glad he came in at that point!
Anyway, I used the same method you used to make the gravy - sprinkle
flour over the mushrooms, then added stock (stirred and cooked for a
few minutes while the broccolini roasted).

--
Food is an important part of a balanced diet.

On Mon, 9 Dec 2013 16:19:34 -0000, "Ophelia"
> wrote:

>
>
> "Nanzi" > wrote in message
> ...
> > My MIL taught me how to make the most awesome stews & pot roasts. She
> > floured and browned the meat with carrots & onions and dehydrated soup
> > greens. Brown pretty well, then add hot water, a cup or 3, and let it cook
> > down and brown the meat again really well. Then add the rest of the water
> > for stew or pot roast. This double browning(almost burning) method results
> > in the best gravy and flavor you've ever had. And she used some bacon fat
> > along with oil to brown in. And strain the gravy for pot roast, squishing
> > as much of the cooked veggies thru the strainer. YUM. The carrots are a
> > big part of the key to the flavor.
> > You'll have to go a long way to get better gravy and flavor than this
> > recipe.
>
> Pretty much how I do mine but I use stock instead of water)

Double browning?

--
Food is an important part of a balanced diet.

"sf" > wrote in message
...
> On Mon, 9 Dec 2013 16:19:34 -0000, "Ophelia"
> > wrote:
>
>>
>>
>> "Nanzi" > wrote in message
>> ...
>> > My MIL taught me how to make the most awesome stews & pot roasts. She
>> > floured and browned the meat with carrots & onions and dehydrated soup
>> > greens. Brown pretty well, then add hot water, a cup or 3, and let it
>> > cook
>> > down and brown the meat again really well. Then add the rest of the
>> > water
>> > for stew or pot roast. This double browning(almost burning) method
>> > results
>> > in the best gravy and flavor you've ever had. And she used some bacon
>> > fat
>> > along with oil to brown in. And strain the gravy for pot roast,
>> > squishing
>> > as much of the cooked veggies thru the strainer. YUM. The carrots are a
>> > big part of the key to the flavor.
>> > You'll have to go a long way to get better gravy and flavor than this
>> > recipe.
>>
>> Pretty much how I do mine but I use stock instead of water)
>
> Double browning?

How double? After the browning I add the stock where Nanze talks about
adding water.

--
http://www.helpforheroes.org.uk/shop/

On Mon, 09 Dec 2013 15:14:33 GMT, (Cindy Hamilton)
wrote:

>In article >,
>jmcquown > wrote:
>>On 12/6/2013 3:33 AM, wrote:
>>> I'm going to try a beef stew in the crock pot on Sunday. I never made it before.
>>> The several recipes I found on line say to dust the meat in flour and put it
>>> into the crock pot. I'm wondering if I would do better to brown it first, or
>>> does it matter? And if I brown it, do I dust it in flour first, or do I dust in
>>> flour after browning? It just seems I saw someplace that meat should be browned
>>> before going in a slow cooker. Thanks.
>>>
>>Here's my two cents. Crockpot or not, I brown the meat for beef stew
>>(or a pot roast) simply because it looks better. It also seems to taste
>>better when you get to the end result.
>>
>>When I was first learning how to cook I used to dredge cubed beef in
>>seasoned flour when making beef stew. Because the recipes said I
>>should. I figured out later, the flour thing really isn't necessary. I
>>would season and brown the meat before putting it in the crock pot.
>>
>>I have never had luck adding flour to simmering stews towards the end.
>>It always winds up lumpy. I use a slurry of cornstarch as a thickener
>>(if needed) instead.
>
>I brown the meat naked (the meat, not me). Then I saute the mirepoix,
>and stir in flour when the vegetables are soft. Mix in liquids and then
>back in with the meat. Always comes out smooth. Works for stew and
>pot roast.

I season the meat (s/p, etc.), then brown it. I don't like flour as a
thickener for stew, it's difficult to judge how much... adding a corn
starch slurry at the end a little at a time gives better results.

I've never been able to produce a decent stew/pot roast with a
crockpot... always part over/under cooked). And if one is going to
brown the meat then what's the point of dirtying a pot, may as well
finish the job with the same pot... I see no reason a stove top can't
maintain a low temperature same as a crock pot, I do it all the
time... and I can add ingredients in the order in which they need to
cook plus I can stir, taste, and, reseason... a crockpot is a
crapshoot and most times loses badly... canned stew is as good if not
better. Only thing I can figure is crockpotters are afflicted with
TIAD, they will literally eat shit with a smile. The smallest burner
on my gas stove can maintain barely a simmer or less all day... and a
real cook who knows how to drive their stove can do the same
regardless gas or electric. Hint: if your stove's smallest burner,
even properly adjusted, is still too hot there's an easy fix, use a
larger pot and make a larger stew, there are also flame tamers. There
is no good reason for using a slow cooker/crockpot, except yoose need
something to blame for producing shit.

On Mon, 9 Dec 2013 16:19:34 -0000, "Ophelia"
> wrote:

>
>
>"Nanzi" > wrote in message
...
>> My MIL taught me how to make the most awesome stews & pot roasts. She
>> floured and browned the meat with carrots & onions and dehydrated soup
>> greens. Brown pretty well, then add hot water, a cup or 3, and let it cook
>> down and brown the meat again really well. Then add the rest of the water
>> for stew or pot roast. This double browning(almost burning) method results
>> in the best gravy and flavor you've ever had. And she used some bacon fat
>> along with oil to brown in. And strain the gravy for pot roast, squishing
>> as much of the cooked veggies thru the strainer. YUM. The carrots are a
>> big part of the key to the flavor.
>> You'll have to go a long way to get better gravy and flavor than this
>> recipe.
>
>Pretty much how I do mine but I use stock instead of water)

How do you brown meat the 2nd time in liquid, or are you saying you
boil away the first liquid... and why bother...
seems counterproductive. I brown the meat to whatever degree I want
and then saute a mirepoix to deglaze before adding liquid.

"Brooklyn1" > wrote in message
news
> On Mon, 9 Dec 2013 16:19:34 -0000, "Ophelia"
> > wrote:
>
>>
>>
>>"Nanzi" > wrote in message
...
>>> My MIL taught me how to make the most awesome stews & pot roasts. She
>>> floured and browned the meat with carrots & onions and dehydrated soup
>>> greens. Brown pretty well, then add hot water, a cup or 3, and let it
>>> cook
>>> down and brown the meat again really well. Then add the rest of the
>>> water
>>> for stew or pot roast. This double browning(almost burning) method
>>> results
>>> in the best gravy and flavor you've ever had. And she used some bacon
>>> fat
>>> along with oil to brown in. And strain the gravy for pot roast,
>>> squishing
>>> as much of the cooked veggies thru the strainer. YUM. The carrots are a
>>> big part of the key to the flavor.
>>> You'll have to go a long way to get better gravy and flavor than this
>>> recipe.
>>
>>Pretty much how I do mine but I use stock instead of water)
>
> How do you brown meat the 2nd time in liquid, or are you saying you
> boil away the first liquid... and why bother...
> seems counterproductive. I brown the meat to whatever degree I want
> and then saute a mirepoix to deglaze before adding liquid.

We are talking about a stew here .. aren't we???

--
http://www.helpforheroes.org.uk/shop/

On Mon, 9 Dec 2013 18:42:58 -0000, "Ophelia"
> wrote:

>
>
>"Brooklyn1" > wrote in message
>news
>> On Mon, 9 Dec 2013 16:19:34 -0000, "Ophelia"
>> > wrote:
>>
>>>
>>>
>>>"Nanzi" > wrote in message
...
>>>> My MIL taught me how to make the most awesome stews & pot roasts. She
>>>> floured and browned the meat with carrots & onions and dehydrated soup
>>>> greens. Brown pretty well, then add hot water, a cup or 3, and let it
>>>> cook
>>>> down and brown the meat again really well. Then add the rest of the
>>>> water
>>>> for stew or pot roast. This double browning(almost burning) method
>>>> results
>>>> in the best gravy and flavor you've ever had. And she used some bacon
>>>> fat
>>>> along with oil to brown in. And strain the gravy for pot roast,
>>>> squishing
>>>> as much of the cooked veggies thru the strainer. YUM. The carrots are a
>>>> big part of the key to the flavor.
>>>> You'll have to go a long way to get better gravy and flavor than this
>>>> recipe.
>>>
>>>Pretty much how I do mine but I use stock instead of water)
>>
>> How do you brown meat the 2nd time in liquid, or are you saying you
>> boil away the first liquid... and why bother...
>> seems counterproductive. I brown the meat to whatever degree I want
>> and then saute a mirepoix to deglaze before adding liquid.
>
>We are talking about a stew here .. aren't we???

Stew, pot roast... same, same.

On Mon, 9 Dec 2013 17:38:03 -0000, "Ophelia"
> wrote:

>
>
> "sf" > wrote in message
> ...
> > On Mon, 9 Dec 2013 16:19:34 -0000, "Ophelia"
> > > wrote:
> >
> >>
> >>
> >> "Nanzi" > wrote in message
> >> ...
> >> > My MIL taught me how to make the most awesome stews & pot roasts. She
> >> > floured and browned the meat with carrots & onions and dehydrated soup
> >> > greens. Brown pretty well, then add hot water, a cup or 3, and let it
> >> > cook
> >> > down and brown the meat again really well. Then add the rest of the
> >> > water
> >> > for stew or pot roast. This double browning(almost burning) method
> >> > results
> >> > in the best gravy and flavor you've ever had. And she used some bacon
> >> > fat
> >> > along with oil to brown in. And strain the gravy for pot roast,
> >> > squishing
> >> > as much of the cooked veggies thru the strainer. YUM. The carrots are a
> >> > big part of the key to the flavor.
> >> > You'll have to go a long way to get better gravy and flavor than this
> >> > recipe.
> >>
> >> Pretty much how I do mine but I use stock instead of water)
> >
> > Double browning?
>
> How double? After the browning I add the stock where Nanze talks about
> adding water.

It's *double browning*. Read up.

--
Food is an important part of a balanced diet.

"sf" > wrote in message
news
> On Mon, 9 Dec 2013 17:38:03 -0000, "Ophelia"
> > wrote:
>
>>
>>
>> "sf" > wrote in message
>> ...
>> > On Mon, 9 Dec 2013 16:19:34 -0000, "Ophelia"
>> > > wrote:
>> >
>> >>
>> >>
>> >> "Nanzi" > wrote in message
>> >> ...
>> >> > My MIL taught me how to make the most awesome stews & pot roasts.
>> >> > She
>> >> > floured and browned the meat with carrots & onions and dehydrated
>> >> > soup
>> >> > greens. Brown pretty well, then add hot water, a cup or 3, and let
>> >> > it
>> >> > cook
>> >> > down and brown the meat again really well. Then add the rest of the
>> >> > water
>> >> > for stew or pot roast. This double browning(almost burning) method
>> >> > results
>> >> > in the best gravy and flavor you've ever had. And she used some
>> >> > bacon
>> >> > fat
>> >> > along with oil to brown in. And strain the gravy for pot roast,
>> >> > squishing
>> >> > as much of the cooked veggies thru the strainer. YUM. The carrots
>> >> > are a
>> >> > big part of the key to the flavor.
>> >> > You'll have to go a long way to get better gravy and flavor than
>> >> > this
>> >> > recipe.
>> >>
>> >> Pretty much how I do mine but I use stock instead of water)
>> >
>> > Double browning?
>>
>> How double? After the browning I add the stock where Nanze talks about
>> adding water.
>
> It's *double browning*. Read up.

OK well up to that point I was with her)) Never noticed the rest No, I
don't double brown

--
http://www.helpforheroes.org.uk/shop/

On Mon, 9 Dec 2013 19:45:02 -0000, "Ophelia"
> wrote:

>
>
> "sf" > wrote in message
> news
> > On Mon, 9 Dec 2013 17:38:03 -0000, "Ophelia"
> > > wrote:
> >
> >>
> >>
> >> "sf" > wrote in message
> >> ...
> >> > On Mon, 9 Dec 2013 16:19:34 -0000, "Ophelia"
> >> > > wrote:
> >> >
> >> >>
> >> >>
> >> >> "Nanzi" > wrote in message
> >> >> ...
> >> >> > My MIL taught me how to make the most awesome stews & pot roasts.
> >> >> > She
> >> >> > floured and browned the meat with carrots & onions and dehydrated
> >> >> > soup
> >> >> > greens. Brown pretty well, then add hot water, a cup or 3, and let
> >> >> > it
> >> >> > cook
> >> >> > down and brown the meat again really well. Then add the rest of the
> >> >> > water
> >> >> > for stew or pot roast. This double browning(almost burning) method
> >> >> > results
> >> >> > in the best gravy and flavor you've ever had. And she used some
> >> >> > bacon
> >> >> > fat
> >> >> > along with oil to brown in. And strain the gravy for pot roast,
> >> >> > squishing
> >> >> > as much of the cooked veggies thru the strainer. YUM. The carrots
> >> >> > are a
> >> >> > big part of the key to the flavor.
> >> >> > You'll have to go a long way to get better gravy and flavor than
> >> >> > this
> >> >> > recipe.
> >> >>
> >> >> Pretty much how I do mine but I use stock instead of water)
> >> >
> >> > Double browning?
> >>
> >> How double? After the browning I add the stock where Nanze talks about
> >> adding water.
> >
> > It's *double browning*. Read up.
>
> OK well up to that point I was with her)) Never noticed the rest No, I
> don't double brown

We have our own variations, eh? Nice to hear how others do it!

--
Food is an important part of a balanced diet.

"sf" > wrote in message
...
> On Mon, 9 Dec 2013 19:45:02 -0000, "Ophelia"
> > wrote:
>
>>
>>
>> "sf" > wrote in message
>> news
>> > On Mon, 9 Dec 2013 17:38:03 -0000, "Ophelia"
>> > > wrote:
>> >
>> >>
>> >>
>> >> "sf" > wrote in message
>> >> ...
>> >> > On Mon, 9 Dec 2013 16:19:34 -0000, "Ophelia"
>> >> > > wrote:
>> >> >
>> >> >>
>> >> >>
>> >> >> "Nanzi" > wrote in message
>> >> >> ...
>> >> >> > My MIL taught me how to make the most awesome stews & pot roasts.
>> >> >> > She
>> >> >> > floured and browned the meat with carrots & onions and dehydrated
>> >> >> > soup
>> >> >> > greens. Brown pretty well, then add hot water, a cup or 3, and
>> >> >> > let
>> >> >> > it
>> >> >> > cook
>> >> >> > down and brown the meat again really well. Then add the rest of
>> >> >> > the
>> >> >> > water
>> >> >> > for stew or pot roast. This double browning(almost burning)
>> >> >> > method
>> >> >> > results
>> >> >> > in the best gravy and flavor you've ever had. And she used some
>> >> >> > bacon
>> >> >> > fat
>> >> >> > along with oil to brown in. And strain the gravy for pot roast,
>> >> >> > squishing
>> >> >> > as much of the cooked veggies thru the strainer. YUM. The carrots
>> >> >> > are a
>> >> >> > big part of the key to the flavor.
>> >> >> > You'll have to go a long way to get better gravy and flavor than
>> >> >> > this
>> >> >> > recipe.
>> >> >>
>> >> >> Pretty much how I do mine but I use stock instead of water)
>> >> >
>> >> > Double browning?
>> >>
>> >> How double? After the browning I add the stock where Nanze talks
>> >> about
>> >> adding water.
>> >
>> > It's *double browning*. Read up.
>>
>> OK well up to that point I was with her)) Never noticed the rest
>> No, I
>> don't double brown
>
> We have our own variations, eh? Nice to hear how others do it!

Always)

--
http://www.helpforheroes.org.uk/shop/

On Friday, December 6, 2013 3:33:27 AM UTC-5, wrote:
> I'm going to try a beef stew in the crock pot on Sunday. I never made it before.
>
> The several recipes I found on line say to dust the meat in flour and put it
>
> into the crock pot. I'm wondering if I would do better to brown it first, or
>
> does it matter? And if I brown it, do I dust it in flour first, or do I dust in
>
> flour after browning? It just seems I saw someplace that meat should be browned
>
> before going in a slow cooker. Thanks.

Brown first in a cast iron skillet or dutch oven. I don't bother with flour. I sometimes put in a roux close to the end, or kneaded butter etc.

On Friday, December 6, 2013 5:25:51 PM UTC-5, jmcquown wrote:
> On 12/6/2013 3:33 AM, wrote:
>
> > I'm going to try a beef stew in the crock pot on Sunday. I never made it before.
>
> > The several recipes I found on line say to dust the meat in flour and put it
>
> > into the crock pot. I'm wondering if I would do better to brown it first, or
>
> > does it matter? And if I brown it, do I dust it in flour first, or do I dust in
>
> > flour after browning? It just seems I saw someplace that meat should be browned
>
> > before going in a slow cooker. Thanks.
>
> >
>
> Here's my two cents. Crockpot or not, I brown the meat for beef stew
>
> (or a pot roast) simply because it looks better. It also seems to taste
>
> better when you get to the end result.
>
>
>
> When I was first learning how to cook I used to dredge cubed beef in
>
> seasoned flour when making beef stew. Because the recipes said I
>
> should. I figured out later, the flour thing really isn't necessary. I
>
> would season and brown the meat before putting it in the crock pot.

> I have never had luck adding flour to simmering stews towards the end.
>
> It always winds up lumpy. I use a slurry of cornstarch as a thickener
>
> (if needed) instead.
>

I wouldn't add just flour to the stew. Make a slurry, with flour and liquid, and if you have lumps in there, just strain it. Or add a roux, or add kneaded butter...

>
>
> Jill

On 12/9/2013 12:00 AM, Sqwertz wrote:
> Baking soda is down the sinew between the muscle fibers.
>
> -sw

Kinky massages you like to get...

On 12/10/2013 3:26 AM, Sqwertz wrote:
> I need velveted <sigh>
>
> Not that I mind that.
>
> -sw

You need psychological counseling, soon.

On 12/11/2013 2:18 PM, Sqwertz wrote:
> Generally the more
> translucent they are the better the quality.
>
> -sw

Is that a Mayo House rule?