Purpose
Build browned deposits in the cooking vessel that can later flavour a sauce.
Controls
Cowboy Beans browns beef after rendering bacon; Bredie browns lamb neck in batches. Avoid crowding so meat browns rather than steams.
Process
- Render or heat the specified cooking fat.
- Brown the meat in batches until deep colour forms on both meat and pot.
- Keep the pot deposits for the subsequent aromatic and liquid stages.
Failure Modes
| Symptom | Likely cause | Corrective action |
|---|---|---|
| Pale, weak sauce base | Meat crowded the pot and released too much moisture | Brown smaller batches before adding wet ingredients. |