Tried searing meat before slow cooking and got a different texture than expected

I made a pork shoulder last weekend and did the whole sear it in a hot pan thing first. Everyone says it locks in flavor and makes it better. But honestly the meat came out tougher than when I just throw it in raw and let it go all day. The bark was nice on the outside but the inside was dry in spots. I've been slow cooking for years without searing and never had that problem. Maybe I seared it too long or the cut was just leaner than usual. Has anyone else noticed searing changes the texture in a bad way or did I just mess up the timing?

2 comments

2 Comments

michaela1616d ago

@margaret_singh1 nailed it with the 5 minute per side thing, I bet that's exactly what happened to me too. The sear hype is real but for big cuts like pork shoulder I swear it's overrated unless you really know what you're doing. I've been slow cooking for a decade now and my best results always come from just seasoning it and tossing it in the pot with some liquid, no pan involved. That dry spot thing you mentioned is the worst part, it's like the sear creates these little crusty zones that don't break down the same way during the long cook. Next time I'm with you, skipping the pan and going back to basics because my family liked the old way better anyway.

margaret_singh117d agoTop Commenter

My last pork shoulder I seared for a full 5 minutes per side before going into the slow cooker... definitely dry in spots and way tougher than my usual no-sear method. You're not alone in that experience. I think people hype up the sear for big roasts but it's easy to overdo it and mess up the moisture. Next time I'm just skipping the pan and sticking with what works for my family.