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Why does nobody talk about browning meat before the slow cooker?
I used to just toss raw chicken and beef straight into the crock pot with some sauce and called it a day. At a potluck last fall, my neighbor brought a slow cooker chili that had way more depth than mine. She told me she always sears the meat in a hot skillet first, even if it's just 3 minutes per side. I tried it with a pork shoulder the next day and honestly, that extra step made the gravy taste twice as rich. Has anyone else noticed a big difference from browning?
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williamprice28d ago
I read a test from America's Test Kitchen where they compared two identical batches of slow cooker beef stew, one with seared meat and one without. They found the browning added a ton of savory flavor compounds that water just can't pull out of raw meat. @iris_stone28 it really is a total game changer once you get the hang of it. That extra 10 minutes of patience is always worth it for the deeper taste.
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