This means that the exterior of a steak will heat up, dehydrate, and begin browning long before the interior gets hot enough to start expelling moisture and thus lowering your pan temperature. With ground meat, on the other hand, because the meat is already ground up into little bits, it's far easier for moisture to escape. Think of meat as if it were a large bundle of teeny tiny Pixy Stix , with the sugar inside each sealed tube representing water.
Now, imagine that those Pixy Stix are open on both ends. It's very easy to get the sugar out of the very ends—some of it may just spill out on its own—, but it takes more time and is more difficult to remove the sugar from the center.
If, on the other hand, we were to slice those Pixy Stix up into teeny tiny pieces, the sugar would quite easily pour out of all of them quite rapidly. This is why ground meat will expel moisture much more quickly when heated than will whole chunks of meat, and why it's so much more difficult to brown properly. You can account for this problem by browning in smaller batches, making sure your pot gets hot enough to sear the ground meat between each addition. Alternatively, you can continue cooking your sputtering meat until all the liquid has been evaporated and it can again start to rise in temperature, allowing it to brown properly.
But the real question is, do you even want to brown all your meat? Whether to brown or not is a vexing question, and one that many experts have differing opinions on. In the end, it all comes down to personal choice, as there is a very clear trade-off in both directions.
If you brown your ground meat , you will develop many of the lovely browned flavors associated with the Maillard reaction, lending stews and sauces a meatier, more complex flavor.
You will also overcook your meat, which leads to tougher, pebblier end results. If you don't brown your meat , you'll end up with a rich, silky, tender texture. On the other hand, your flavor won't be as deep. And that's just the sad fact that we have to live with. Or do we? Here's the good news: you can get the best of both worlds by deeply browning just some of the meat. The thing is, when you brown a piece of meat, all of those fantastically flavorful new compounds that are developed are not stuck very hard to the surface of the meat.
In fact, with a bit of gently simmering, it's possible to dissolve most of those flavors, and spread them evenly around the entire pot. What this means is that by deeply browning just some of the meat, you can create enough concentrated browned flavors to make your entire dish taste meatier, all while mostly retaining the nice, tender texture of un-browned meat. If you're starting with ground meat, the best way to do this is to pull off a small amount of meat—say, a quarter of the total amount for a standard 6 to 8 serving recipe—and brown it extra well.
But never leave ground beef out at room temperature for more than two hours. If you want to achieve that crisp, brown crust, overcrowding the pan is only going to work against you. Because the meat doesn't have enough contact with the pan, it's not going to sear - it's going to steam. The result? Wet and gray ground beef. No thanks. If you're cooking a large amount of ground beef, either cook it in batches or make sure you have a skillet that's large enough to accommodate it.
Okay, you can use a nonstick pan to brown ground beef if that's what you prefer. It's certainly convenient. But for truly the best sear, you'll want to go with cast iron or stainless steel. The reason is nonstick pans just don't retain heat as well. And not all nonstick pans can handle the high heat that's required for browning meat. To prevent the meat from sticking in stainless steel or cast iron pans, simply use a little oil and make sure your cast iron is well seasoned.
Raw ground beef can be stored in the fridge for up to two days or in the freezer for up to three months. To freeze, wrap the package tightly in freezer wrap or transfer to a freezer-safe bag and label with the date. Cooked ground beef, like many other leftovers , will last three to four days in the fridge, or three to four months in the freezer.
Keep it stored in an airtight container or freezer bag. By Melanie Fincher July 24, Each product we feature has been independently selected and reviewed by our editorial team. If you make a purchase using the links included, we may earn commission. Pin FB Share. Browning ground beef in stainless steel pan with wooden spatula. Allow your meat to sit at room temperature for about 15 minutes. You don't want to break up your ground meat before it has time to gain some texture. Brown the other side, then break into bits—getting a full brown on both sides is what you're aiming for.
Then, make sure that you season the whole thing generously with salt—since ground meat tends to be pretty fatty, you'll need to use a couple of good pinches to make it sing. That will give you the flavor, texture, and juice factor that will take you straight to the top of the ground beef game.
Now it's time to actually use the technique. Ground meat is extremely versatile, shining in salads, tacos, lettuce wraps, casseroles, and just about everything else.
Well, maybe not smoothies.
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