Topic: Matt: question about boiling sauces for meats
cccuuunnttt !yDoooooooo started this discussion 9 years ago #62,227
Many meat dishes with sauce have a basic order of things:
1) Cook/brown the meat most of the way
2) Remove the meat but leave the butter/drippings/fat in the pan
3) Combine the sauce ingredients with the drippings in the pan, and bring to a boil
4) Cook until reduced
5) Re-add the meat and finish cooking
My question is why the boiling step? What does the boiling add?
If you realize you need to adjust something in the sauce after it comes to a boil, do you need to re-boil it?
And why do recipes make sure to tell you to leave the drippings in the pan - does it add a lot of flavor?
1) Cook/brown the meat most of the way
2) Remove the meat but leave the butter/drippings/fat in the pan
3) Combine the sauce ingredients with the drippings in the pan, and bring to a boil
4) Cook until reduced
5) Re-add the meat and finish cooking
My question is why the boiling step? What does the boiling add?
If you realize you need to adjust something in the sauce after it comes to a boil, do you need to re-boil it?
And why do recipes make sure to tell you to leave the drippings in the pan - does it add a lot of flavor?
Anonymous B joined in and replied with this 9 years ago, 26 minutes later[^] [v] #783,591
Boiling doesn't add, it removes water as steam thus reducing.
cccuuunnttt !yDoooooooo (OP) replied with this 9 years ago, 3 minutes later, 29 minutes after the original post[^] [v] #783,593
@previous (B)
Well yeah I get that, but you can also reduce a sauce without hitting a rolling boil. What is the point of getting to a boil? Why do so many recipes call for it with a sauce?
Well yeah I get that, but you can also reduce a sauce without hitting a rolling boil. What is the point of getting to a boil? Why do so many recipes call for it with a sauce?
(Edited 17 seconds later.)
Meta joined in and replied with this 9 years ago, 16 minutes later, 46 minutes after the original post[^] [v] #783,606
@previous (cccuuunnttt !yDoooooooo)
The hotter water is the faster it boils off. Yes, you could reduce the sauce below boiling, but it would take forever. Doing it at a fast boil speeds up the reduction.
The hotter water is the faster it boils off. Yes, you could reduce the sauce below boiling, but it would take forever. Doing it at a fast boil speeds up the reduction.
cccuuunnttt !yDoooooooo (OP) replied with this 9 years ago, 20 minutes later, 1 hour after the original post[^] [v] #783,614
Big Daddy Derek !Uvm54ORbmo joined in and replied with this 9 years ago, 52 seconds later, 1 hour after the original post[^] [v] #783,615
Anonymous E joined in and replied with this 9 years ago, 20 minutes later, 1 hour after the original post[^] [v] #783,624
Meta replied with this 9 years ago, 2 minutes later, 1 hour after the original post[^] [v] #783,625
@783,614 (cccuuunnttt !yDoooooooo)
OK no offense but I was looking for the input of someone who doesn't think Kraft macaroni and cheese is "too spicy"
thx
OK no offense but I was looking for the input of someone who doesn't think Kraft macaroni and cheese is "too spicy"
thx
Anonymous F joined in and replied with this 9 years ago, 4 minutes later, 1 hour after the original post[^] [v] #783,626
Syntax replied with this 9 years ago, 43 seconds later, 1 hour after the original post[^] [v] #783,628
@783,625 (Meta)
You were most certainly correct. Boiling is all about reduction. Reduction is to concentrate the ingredients. With wine sauces its best not to fast boil. Slow is more better than fast.
You were most certainly correct. Boiling is all about reduction. Reduction is to concentrate the ingredients. With wine sauces its best not to fast boil. Slow is more better than fast.
Anonymous G joined in and replied with this 9 years ago, 20 hours later, 22 hours after the original post[^] [v] #783,848
reductiondraad
The Witch Doctor !6W1Zpe4MCM joined in and replied with this 9 years ago, 20 minutes later, 22 hours after the original post[^] [v] #783,863
@previous (G)
> reductiondraad
1. You leave the fat and drippings in the pan for flavor, yes.
2. It is good actually to deglaze the pan with red or white wine to get those drippings up off the bottom and into the sauce.
3. You boil it basically to reduce it to make it thicker and to concentrate the flavors. You theoretically do not "have" to boil it.
> reductiondraad
1. You leave the fat and drippings in the pan for flavor, yes.
2. It is good actually to deglaze the pan with red or white wine to get those drippings up off the bottom and into the sauce.
3. You boil it basically to reduce it to make it thicker and to concentrate the flavors. You theoretically do not "have" to boil it.
Anonymous B replied with this 9 years ago, 4 minutes later, 22 hours after the original post[^] [v] #783,864
@previous (The Witch Doctor !6W1Zpe4MCM)
You do, however, have to boil chicken until it reaches peak rubbery texture
You do, however, have to boil chicken until it reaches peak rubbery texture
The Witch Doctor !6W1Zpe4MCM replied with this 9 years ago, 1 minute later, 22 hours after the original post[^] [v] #783,865
Anonymous I joined in and replied with this 9 years ago, 15 seconds later, 22 hours after the original post[^] [v] #783,866
cccuuunnttt !yDoooooooo (OP) replied with this 9 years ago, 30 minutes later, 23 hours after the original post[^] [v] #783,876
@783,863 (The Witch Doctor !6W1Zpe4MCM)
I'm interested in #2, since it seems sometimes the drippings just stick to the bottom of the pan/sauce. How do you do this? Thanks, btw, McMatt.
I'm interested in #2, since it seems sometimes the drippings just stick to the bottom of the pan/sauce. How do you do this? Thanks, btw, McMatt.
The Witch Doctor !6W1Zpe4MCM replied with this 9 years ago, 1 hour later, 1 day after the original post[^] [v] #783,890
@previous (cccuuunnttt !yDoooooooo)
Ok so when you take the meat off, keep the heat high and get it hot. Then pour in room-temperature wine, say a cup or so. It will hiss and may even catch fire a bit in the air -- that is OK as it will go out immediately. Then that will pick up the stickings into the sauce. Then turn the heat down to medium-low or even lower as you reduce the wine, and you can even stire in some butter pat by pat, on low heat to keep the sauce from breaking.
Ok so when you take the meat off, keep the heat high and get it hot. Then pour in room-temperature wine, say a cup or so. It will hiss and may even catch fire a bit in the air -- that is OK as it will go out immediately. Then that will pick up the stickings into the sauce. Then turn the heat down to medium-low or even lower as you reduce the wine, and you can even stire in some butter pat by pat, on low heat to keep the sauce from breaking.