I’m afraid I’m a terrible cook.
To save me time because I have to work, my to go menu was to prepare a stew with ground meat, mostly chicken, and potatoes, ‘cause they’re cheap and fill you up fast. Add water and pepper, cook, done. I try to cook big batches to save time.
A friend gave me a leek, so I added it to my usual mix: now I feel I’m fuller for longer and don’t have to eat that much meat (I usually mix the same amount of meat and potatoes).
Have I been coking wrong the whole time?
What else can I add to my stews to feel full for longer, to not gain weight but to have enough energy to do my job?
Any downsides to eating less meat?
you should be cooking half that stuff to some degree before you add any water
maillard reactions = flavor, they require temps over like 300F to happen
Water boils at 212F. Nothing is going to brown if it’s added to water and then cook. If you add stuff to a pan without adding water it’s still not going to brown until you cook away all the water on the exterior of whatever you’re cooking. This is why you’re supposed to pat meats dry before searing