FOOD NEWS
The Way You Should Be Adding Ingredients In A Dutch Oven
BY KYLE GRACE MILLS
While a Dutch oven may seem like a stove-based version of a slow cooker, you need to add ingredients in a certain order, rather than dumping everything in and letting it cook.
For example, if you don't sear off the meat in your Dutch oven first before adding all the other ingredients to the pot, it won't brown properly and you'll lose a lot of flavor.
Vegetables and other ingredients will release liquid, which can end up steaming meat rather than searing it. Always brown your meat first, and do it in batches if necessary.
Once you get a caramelized crust on the meat, remove it from the pot and sauté your vegetables and aromatics in the leftover fat.
For celery, onions, and peppers, sauté them until translucent to remove most of their water content. If your aromatics stick to the pan, deglaze it with wine or stock.
By searing the meat and sweating the vegetables before letting the whole dish cook, you'll add numerous layers of flavor that’ll take your Dutch oven meal to the next level.