Stew

[Spreeny]

Is it really necessary to brown the meat before putting it into a stew ? even some of the 'top' chefs don't bother ...

[Schutzengel]

Browning of meat is done to seal in the juices. So I think it's a matter of choice, whether you want the juices from the meat to add to the flavour of the stock, or are happy for the other ingredients of the stew to provide the flavour. I don't pre-brown the meat, and my stews turn out flavoursome.

[guerrilla]

A classic French way of browning meat offers 2 benefits, none of which include sealing in the juices for stewed meat.
As the meat is stewed over a period of time the juices escape into the cooking liquor anyway, the benefits of browning meat dusted in seasoned flour are:-
1. a nutty (Noisette) flavour will enhance the depth and character of your stew.
2. the browned flour will also add a thickness to the liquor of your stew coating all those wonderful slow cooked ingredients.

If you are cooking meat that is not stewed for example a chicken breast, sealing the meat will help retain the juices inside.

[Spreeny]

Thankyou both very much..