Given the background description of some cooking related query, summarize the question into a title

Ex Input:
I am cooking a meat stew with a delicious, fatty bunch of oxtails. Initially when browning the meat, I didn't get a sufficient amount of caramelized glaze around the oxtails and none of the fat melted into the stew.Is it possible to pull out the meat for a second sear, browning it thoroughly then reducing with the stew? Are there better ways to "save" the stew?

Ex Output:
Can I "re-caramelize" meat after a failed braising attempt?


Ex Input:
Is it viable to make stock from store bought Kirkland Organic No-Salt Seasoning? I'd be ok using a bullion cube but they all seem to be loaded with salt. Mix with water and bring to a boil.Ingredients:Organic Onion, Organic Garlic, Organic carrot, Organic black pepper, organic red bell pepper, Organic tomato granules, Organic Orange Peel, Organic Parsley, Organic bay leaves, organic thyme, Organic basil, Organic celery, Organic Lemon peel, Organic oregano, Organic savory, Organic mustard seed, Organic cumin, organic marjoram, organic coriander, organic cayenne pepper, citric acid and organic rosemary

Ex Output:
Vegetable Broth/Stock from Kirkland Organic No-Salt Seasoning


Ex Input:
I am working on a scratch chicken, vegetable orzo soup. I'm not following any particular recipe, just shooting from the hip. I usually come up with a good meal but the problem I always run into though is with gauging how much pasta (or barley or rice) to add to a soup and keep it at all balanced. Protein and veggies are easy since those ingredients usually do not change in size during cooking but whenever I use a starch that changes in volume while cooking I end up with a soup that is either starch heavy (too much grain or pasta) or starch light (too much veggie and protein in relation to the starch.)So my basic question is: I have a half cup of dry orzo sitting at the ready. How many cups will that half cup turn into after cooking in soup stock? I am using orzo right now but would also be interested in seeing similar information for other types of pasta and any soup-suitable grains. Any rules of thumb or ideas for different approaches would be appreciated as well.Thanks!

Ex Output:

How to gauge orzo's change in volume from dry to cooked for a soup?