Pincer

A French term used to describe the browning of a food ingredient in the fat content contained within the ingredient prior to adding any other items, such as liquids. Typically the purpose of this procedure, pronounced "pin-sahr" in French, is to enhance and deepen the flavor of the ingredient as the sugars within begin to caramelize. Commonly used to describe the cooking of tomato paste, Pincer is also used for a variety of other cooking ingredients such as to make stewed or braised foods, various meat and brown stocks, or for making flavorful sauces and vegetable dishes. The process will often create a deeper and richer flavor with a somewhat smoky overtone.