Why do you have to seal or brown meat before putting it in a stew or casserole?!
Answers: I watch loads of cookery programs and enjoy cooking and it seems they all do this, they reckon it keeps the flavour in the meat, but whats wrong with the flavour going into the stew or casserole, i'm confused.
There is another reason for searing meat - other than sealing in the flavour and keeping it moist - the high heat used for searing kills any pathogenic bacteria on the meat. The gradual rise in temperature whilst cooking a casserole allows some bacteria to form spores. These spores may not be killed during cooking and, unless the casserole is kept piping hot, they will reform into harmful bacteria.
It's to seal in the juices and that makes it tastier and tenderer
You sear or brown the meat all over to keep the juices in so the meat doesn't dry out and lose flavor....and the meat will be tender.
It seals in the flavor and it helps the meat keep its shape, as opposed to dissolving into shreds.
The meat pieces also keep their shape and do not shrink.
If you dont you end up with meat that tastes like leather.
Meats have a tendency to turn a pale gray color if they are not browned before adding to a stew/casserole. There is no different in taste, only appearance, but once it hits your stomach, who cares what it looks like?
To keep the juices inside the meat as it cooks, that way making it much tenderer and and tastier...if you don't seal the meat you may be in for for leather like chewing ;) x
The current view is that sealing is not necessary.
It makes the meat more tender.