Does Browning Make a Difference?

Browning creates flavor, there is no denying it. Most slow cooker recipes call for browning meat before putting it into the pot, but I wanted to know if browning makes a difference. I do not always approach things in the most scientific manner, but I gave it a good try with this experiment. To do this I made two batches of short ribs. For the first batch I browned the meat, then the onions on the fat from the meat. In the second I threw everything into the crock pot and closed the sucker up.

My ingredients are almost identical for both batches, but in the interest of transparency and science I will disclose that there were two differences; batch one included a half-can of water (using the tomato can) and I cooked batch one on low for five hours, and batch two on high for three and a half hours (I didn’t want to still be cooking at 10:00 pm). Otherwise things were the same.

One of the benefits of this dish is that my house smells like I imagine heaven smells. Cinnamon and tomato are one of those perfect combinations of flavor. This dish is one that would lend itself to brisket, chuck or any inexpensive cut of beef. The acid from the tomatoes tenderizes the meat as it cooks, and the cinnamon, currant and carrots add a sweetness that balances that acid. Whether or not you add the extra water you will end up with tons of sauce so good you’ll want to sit down with a bowl of it when no one is watching as I did.

I have only one slow cooker (and one is plenty!) so I had to put the first batch into the fridge while the other one cooked. This means that for tasting purposes I reheated batch one. One option would have been to chill both overnight, and reheat both to taste, but I didn’t. I don’t believe it would have made a significant difference. Dishes like this are among my favorites, but not when the weather is hot, so I was pretty excited leading up to this weekend’s cooking.

Both versions were very good. Obviously it’s much quicker and easier to skip the browning, you omit the oil (to be clear, this is not a low-fat dish) and you don’t end up with an extra pot to wash. Even with the added water, the browned version had a deeper, more complex flavor. What surprised me was how much better the browned onions fared. They were more melty and better incorporated into the sauce, adding the the flavor of the sauce. If you’re in a rush go ahead and skip the browning step, otherwise, I’d opt for the browning method.

Slow Cooker Short Ribs

Print recipe

Ingredients

2-3lb bone-in short ribs (use English rather than flanken style)
2 Large onions (cut in half and sliced into 1/4)
1lb carrots (peeled and cut into 2)
2 cans 28 oz San Marzano tomatoes
1 cup currants
2 teaspoons kosher salt
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
4 cloves garlic (smashed)

Note

To test if meat is fork tender, insert a carving fork into meat. If the meat slides off the fork, it is done. If there is any resistance it is not.

Directions

browning
Step 1
Heat enough oil to cover the bottom of your heavy pot. Brown ribs on all sides, remove from pot and put into slow cooker
Step 2
Lower heat and add onions, garlic, carrots, salt, cinnamon and paprika to pot and stir until vegetables are fragrant and just starting to brown. About 7-8 minutes Add to slow cooker
Step 3
If you're skipping the browning, put meat and vegetables into bottom of slow cooker. Add remaining ingredients. If you have browned the meat and vegetables add remaining ingredient to slow cooker to cover the meat and vegetables
Step 4
Cook for five hours over low, or three hours on high. When time is up check to see if meat is fork tender. If so remove from pot, if not cook an additional thirty to forty minutes until meat is fork tender.