Once and for all, fat whores: Do you brown the meat when you make a pot roast?

Oh you simply must - seriously.

Stealth scat thread

[quote]I feel like mine's bland, even if I do that and it tastes kind of dry.

Then you're doing it wrong.

Brown the hell out of it. It creates a fond, brown stuff at the bottom of the pot, which flavor the sauce. Also cook low and slow after browning. A gentle simmer for a longer time will help the dryness.

Searing doesn't 'seal in' juices as we've been told, so if you don't slow cook for long enough the meat will be dry just like if you didn't sear. I still like browning though, it looks better and as R4 said, it can add flavor.

Slit the hell out of the uncooked roast and pop thinly sliced garlic in each slit, then cover it with a good garlic powder, ground black pepper and some kosher salt. Cover tightly with foil and pop in the fridge overnight.

If you're consistently having dry roasts, you could try using a brown-in bag to cook it in. That will also give you a good base for gravy if you like.

And get your oven calibrated; the recipe cooking temps/times may vary according to your stove.

Mais oui!

R6 Oh fuck yeah. This was brilliant.

I didn't have the patience to shove little pieces of garlic into it.

Salt and pepper and garlic powder rubbed it all over and then it sat covered but unwrapped in fridge for 48 hours till it looked weird. Never went above 225 degrees.

Best I've ever had in my life.

I swear some of you hos act like you haven’t been cooking for the past 30 years. And eff me OP if you are an aging millenial as myself lol.

I don't brown it, I'm too lazy. Never get any complaints about my pot roast, though.

R9 I've been cooking a long time, I'm just kind of new to eating four-legged animals.

I'm sure your cooking taste like papier-mâché and manure. Boil away, cupcake.

Add a little baking soda to the rub and oven bake at 325°F.

R12 It's a pot roast?

No small onions in my portion, thanks

Oven baked with the vegetables in an open Dutch oven. I'm giving technique tweaks, not a full recipe.

Caramelization matters.

R15 Wait, you rub baking soda on it and cook it uncovered at a high heat?

If you add enough flavorful ingredients I doubt it makes much difference. I add soy sauce, worcestershire sauce, fish sauce, tomato paste and wine.

[quote]it sat covered but unwrapped in fridge for 48 hours till it looked weird. Never went above 225 degrees

You might want to have your fridge checked.

Brown beef.

And certainly brown beef curtains, period.

Even without a period

R6 again.

I told my 96-year-old Dad what I'd posted, and he set me straight: forget about tightly foiling the roast before putting it in the fridge; tent it, instead. He said the garlic slivers behave like aromatics, and a tight wrap won't give the garlic room to... "aromatize", if that's a real word. In any case the garlic needs room to breathe into the roast.

I stand corrected.

R8, the long, uncovered rest in the fridge was the key.

Refrigerators work partly by removing moisture from the air inside the fridge. That’s why they have enclosed “crisper” drawers, to keep vegetables and fruit from drying out.

This low humidity environment drys out the surface of the uncovered meat and creates a pellicle, a film of protein, which allows for better, deeper browning.

The longer time (48 hours is as far as I’d go, btw) and salt also promote a type of lactic acid fermentation which is the key to dry-aged beef or prosciutto.

My secret is to dredge it in pancake flour. When I make my Mississippi Pot Roast in my slow cooker, I use Kodiak Protein Pancake Mix and give it a good sear all over. I also use pancake mix to make my smothered pork chops too.

I wasn't the poster who suggested using baking soda, but I agree. I use baking soda often when I want to brown meat, whether it's whole or ground. It changes the pH and help brown and tenderize. Chinese restaurants have always used it to "velvet" the meat. Listen to Dan.

OP, if you don't get a good sear on the roast first all you end up with is boiled meat. The caramelization from the searing process is what gives the final dish most of its flavor. The chunky bits that stick to the bottom of the pan after searing, called "fond", is loaded with flavor, as well as the crust you form on the roast from searing it.

r17 325° F is not a hot oven.

Very slow oven 250 °F 120 °C

Slow oven 300–325 °F 150–160 °C

Moderately slow 325–350 °F 160–180 °C

Moderate oven 350–375 °F 180–190 °C

Moderately hot 375–400 °F 190–200 °C

Hot oven 400–450 °F 200–230 °C

Very hot oven 450–500 °F 230–260 °C

Fast oven 450–500 °F 230–260 °C

Congrats, R8!

Isn't it funny how such a tiny thing can make such a HUGE difference?

I swear, garlic, fresh lemons/limes, fresh ginger, good garlic powder, smoked paprika, nutmeg, and real butter are superweapons that can turn the mundane into a tastebud-twangin' thang!

You are correct r24

OP here. I'm almost positive that what makes the biggest difference is to rub some salt and pepper on it and let it sit there in the refrigerator for 48 hours contemplating its mortality.