Browning meat (merged)

annie-c

My full size cooker is broken at the moment so I am forced not to brown my slow cooker meat after always doing so previously. I think that cosmetically it looks better if browned (esp for sausages and pale meat) but it doesn't change the flavour much.

ShelBell

The only meat I brown is sausage

Barneysmom

I don't brown it, there's no difference in the taste.

horseinhatman

Browning (supposedly) seals the meat and its important for flavour imho

davetaylor

So does anyone ever brown the meat under the grill or is it always in a frying pan?

Pink.

Hi dave,

I've added your thread to an earlier one on whether or not to brown meat for the slow cooker to keep all the replies together.

Pink

Pretani

the slow cooker draws out the juices in the meat. It's good for soup, simmering hough bone, shin or chicken carcass, but when cooking meat the meat ends up with less flavour than the gravy. Makes nice gravy though.

In my opinion it's better to cook meat in the oven or pan and test temperature with a meat thermometer

ShelBell

Pretani wrote: »

the slow cooker draws out the juices in the meat. It's good for soup, simmering hough bone, shin or chicken carcass, but when cooking meat the meat ends up quite dry and all the flavour goes into the gravy. Makes nice gravy though.

In my opinion it's better to cook meat in the oven or pan and test temperature with a meat thermometer

Well I must have a strange slow cooker then, as mine turns out moist and succulent every time!

Pretani

ShelBell wrote: »

Well I must have a strange slow cooker then, as mine turns out moist and succulent every time!

Yes, it may be succulent once you've lifted it out (most of the succulence is water through the steaming process), but all the juices (flavour) has went into the gravey. Try cooking the same meat in the oven using a meat thermometer. It should take a portion of the time to cook (and doesn't shrink so much), remember to let it rest 10 minutes.

davetaylor

So has anyone ever browned under the grill before?