Slow Cooker Beef Stew - To Brown or Not To Brown...

dididede

That is the question!

Jamie Oliver says not to brown, (admittedly his is an oven stew not a slow cooker recipe) yet when I just piled everything in and hoped for the best it came out a little 'soupy'. But I though the whole premise of a slow cooker was to take some of the 'work' out of cooking? Maybe my timings are all wrong? No matter, am just trying to gather opinion here tbh.

So, for a slow cooker beef stew, please advise when you are cooking it Chef Ramsay, do you coat out in flour then brown the beef first, or not, and how does that work out for you? Thanks!

farway

I just bung it all in. But I do coat the meat in flour by chucking it in a poly bag, add some flour, give it a good shaking to coat the meat, chuck in the pot

Slow cookers need less liquid than many recipes as the veggies give out their liquid, and the lower temperature does not evaporate this like it does in a casserole or stew

Just up to level of the fillings is fine, or even a bit lower will be fine

runrockclimb

I brown, with a little flour, browning is always worth it in my book

fludderbye

I just throw it all in-

always nice & tender- I never understood the need to make another pan dirty- LOL