Why it Works: Hitting the Sauce
Sauces are one of the cleverest inventions in the kitchen. Although many people think sauces are only for masking a poorly cooked dish, their true purpose is extending the flavor of your meat. When you fry meat and vegetables, especially when the pan is not nonstick, crispy bits of meat juices collect and glaze the bottom of the pan. This glaze, called the “fond” (French for bottom), contains concentrated meat flavor. To release the fond, deglaze the pan by adding liquid such as stock, wine or juice. This simple sauce can now be thickened, concentrated (by boiling) or enriched by adding butter.