Is there an "order" in which to add ingredients to saute?

Question

I wam making chili, and have never thought about this before, but is there a "correct" order in which to saute the onions, beef, and garlic? I've never thrown them all in at once, so, separately, does it matter which goes first?

Thanks

Answer

I would brown the beef and then remove it to drain (if needed, otherwise just to make space for the next items to cook). Then add the onion to pick up any fond left behind by the beef. Once the onion is cooked, then the garlic for a minute or two. Then the beef goes back in.

Answer

There is no "correct" order. But, the order you pick will definitely impact the taste. 

It all depends on how *you* want the dish to taste.

Answer

Research: building flavor layers.

Answer

Before doing any of the above, I'd use the pan to toast dried spices and chilis, then remove.

Answer

I use a "wok clock," where you arrange your ingredients in the order of how long each needs to be cooked. Once you decide on an order, it's pretty handy for quickly adding ingredients to the pan. Here's a random example I found on the internet, so don't take this as an endorsement of the recipe or anything: 

6. Now build a "wok clock": place the garlic at 12 o'clock, followed by the carrot, snow peas, mushrooms, beansprouts, soaked vermicelli and then finally your sauce, clockwise around the plate.

https://www.goodfood.com.au/recipes/how-to/wok-around-the-clock-build-a-wok-clock-before-you-start-stir-frying-20180509-h0zu4q

Answer

You can do the beef first and then remove the beef and use the beef fat for the onions and garlic or vice versa. I prefer not to do them all in the same pan at the same time because it can get crowded, so my personal preference is to do the onions and garlic first in a dutch oven, then transfer to a pan. Follow up with the ground beef, drain off the fat and then return the onions to the pan before adding the seasoning

Answer

There is no one right or wrong. I just made a chili from a Pierre Franey recipe in the NY Times that called for meat (I used 85/15 turkey) first, then vegetables, then spices. After that it had become fairly dry and the spices coated the other ingredients well. Only then do you add tomatoes and broth. Beans added last.

https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/7985-turkey-chili 

No matter the recipe, always cut back on the chili powder by half. I have plenty of ways I prefer to add heat near the end that work just fine.

Answer

In a stew/chilli there is an order in which to add the ingredients. 

As Damiano states, there are recipes, which calls for the meat to be added raw at some stage after the onions, but I personally don’t follow these recipes, if they say to add raw meat after the onions for two reasons. 

Firstly I don’t think you can brown the meat properly without scorching or at least overcook the onions, when you add the raw meat after the onions. 
Secondly you’ll never really get a Maillard reaction on the meat, unless you sear it separately. Perhaps the recipe don’t call for such a Maillard reaction in the first place, but I would have to say I’ll doubt the recipe, if you don’t take advantage of what fond development and taste upgrade you get from searing your meat to a Maillard level reaction first. 

So with that said here’s the order I add my ingredients in, when making a stew/chilli. 

1. Sear the meat separately first in vegetable oil until the Maillard reaction has happened - the meat gets this browned dark look. Remove the meat. 
2. Add the diced onions and sauté them until they get this shiny look yet they’re not caramelised.
3. Halfway before the onions are sautéd, add your dry spices to the onions, so they ‘open up’. You can also add fresh diced ginger and chilli now. 
4. Now add your sour or acidic element like balsamico or white wine vinegar or whatever you use. Let it cook a bit at medium-high heat while you deglaze the bottom of the pan. 
5. Now add the minced garlic. As soon as you smell it, it’s done. 30 seconds or so. 
6. Add red wine/white wine or any alcohol now. Cook until most of the alcohol has evaporated. 
7. Now add the hardest diced vegetables e.g. carrots or celery. Cook them for 5-8 minutes. 
8. Follow up with the softer vegetables. 
9. Now it’s time to add the cooked meat back in to the stew. 
10. If you need to add 2-3 glasses of wine or beer to the stew, it’s time to add it now. 

This is the order I add my ingredients in, when making a stew/chilli. 
 
Cheers, Claus

Answer

The simple solution to meat first, meat separate, meat whenever is to use two pans. I set up my final cooking pot for sautéing the vegetables and garlic and blooming the spices. I brown the meat in a separate skillet, transferring each browned batch to a plate until I assemble the whole dish for cooking. Once I add the liquid to the sautéed vegetables, I add the browned meat, use some liquid to deglaze the skillet, and everything works. Why drive yourself nuts trying to figure out one pan prep when two make it easy?

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Is there an "order" in which to add ingredients to saute?

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