softening veg when making a stew

[feedme]

I'm feeling lazy today, so I've put together a beef stew by just putting the beef, carrots, onions and celery, plus seasoning and water into a dish and set it to cook v. slowly. When it comes out of the oven I'll know how it's gone (I've never done this before) but I'm not too worried as my lot will eat whatever I put in front of them. Out of curiousity though, what is the point of pre-browning the veg and the meat?

The only thing browning does is to give a bit of extra flavour to stew.

As for I always do stews the way you have done it today and never had a problem.

Jamie Oliver actually says there is no point in browning meat, as it makes no difference to taste or tenderness! I liek to soften my onion & celery a bit before adding the rest, that just my preference though.

Yeah, the chefs always say it's to 'seal' the meat juices in but I saw the food science genius Hestan Brumanwhatsit say on a program that scientifically it doesn't seal in the juices at all. I would have thought that browning the meat/veg first though would add/alter the flavour/texture of the dish a bit though (it does when you make soup anyway)

Browning meat doesn't 'seal' it, but it does enhance its flavour due to the Maillard Reaction

Onions taste (IMO) much nicer if you caramelise them first. A boiled onion just doesn't taste the same as a sauted one.

Not sure it makes much difference to other veg.

I don't think I'd do it that way again - the onions weren't very nice at all for a start. Interesting to try it just once though