When making soup, what are the differences between adding raw versus browned meat to the water?

Cafe Society
1

When making soups with meat, one way is to put the raw meat in water and bring to a boil. Another way is to brown the meat first before adding it to the water. How does raw vs. browned meat affect the resulting soup?

I haven’t made a whole lot of soups, but one thing I’ve noticed is that starting with raw meat in the water means there will be a lot of gunk that floats to the top and will need to be skimmed off. If I first brown the meat and add it to the water, there will not be that gunk. I haven’t paid close enough attention to know what other differences there will be in the soup. What’s the difference in the taste and texture of the meat? Of the broth? Are some soups better starting with raw meat and others better with browned?

2

Browning the meat caramelizes its surfaces, creating a thin crust and adding flavor. You should also cook the soup in the same pot you brown the meat in, to take advantage of the juices and gnarly bits left at the bottom.

3

**Terentii **pretty much nailed it in one. The only real difference is whether or not you get those Maillard reaction products (browned bits) into the soup liquid, or not.

4

I would also remove the meat from the pot, sautee the vegetables in the juices left at the bottom of the pot, and then return the meat to the pot before adding the liquid(s) everything is going to simmer in.

5

What they said, but the meat doesn’t care how you do it; it will cook the same regardless of browning first or not. Meat browned and braised for hours, or not browned and simmered for hours, will fall apart just the same.

6

Sometimes I poach the meat and sometimes brown it first, depends on the style of soup I am making. Particularly with chicken it is sometimes nice to have the chicken go all stringy.

7

What would be the differences in the final product depending on if you started with raw or browned meat? Is the taste the same either way? Or would you know the meat was added raw since the taste/texture is a certain way? The same with browned meat affecting the final product.

So let’s say I want my finished soup to have certain characteristics. Which final characteristics would be achieved by starting with raw meat versus starting with browned?

One thing about starting with raw is that it’s more of a pain since you have to skim the water to get rid of the gunk. But is there some benefit to that method because the final soup will be a certain way? It sounds like starting with raw will end up with more tender meat in the final product, for example.

8

They do taste different. A stock starting with browned meat (and often roasted vegetables, as well) has a stronger, deeper, well, “browned” roasted flavor to it. For a non-meat analogy, it’s like the difference between toast and warm bread.

Now, that doesn’t mean one is better than the other. They’re just different. Typically, I actually do not brown my meat when making broth, as most of the soups I make I like to have a more “neutral” background flavor on which the soup is built. So for vegetable soups, bean soups, straight-up chicken soup, that sort of thing, I like a light, delicate broth.

For stronger soups where I really want to play up those dark, toasty, caramelized, maillard-type meaty flavors, then, yes, I’ll brown my meat. Something like beef stew, beef and barley soup, oxtail soup, French onion soup (although I usually prefer this one with a light stock, too, depending on if I want a really “beefy” version of it rather than an “oniony” version of it), etc.

I don’t know what you mean about not skimming browned meat. You still have to skim if you want a clean broth. Plenty of gunk still floats up, though perhaps not as much. One trick which I don’t do too often (but every so often I do) is to blanch the meat. So you take your meat, throw it in cold water to cover, bring to boil; boil for about 10 minutes. Take out the meat; dump the water, wash the meat, and start with your stock/soup recipe as normal. Most of the gunk will now be gone.

I, personally, don’t usually have an issue with too much protein scum or gunk. I’ll skim at some point, but it’s not a big deal to do.

9

In a word : Umami

10

If you want to brown the meat, don’t crowd the pan. Otherwise the meat will just steam and stew in its own juices, turning grey. Do it in batches, if necessary.