Sear pork belly before or after cooking in a pressure cooker?
I've been trying different pork belly recipes, after trying a few using a pressure cooker and a few that only call for pan-searing, I think I'd like to try a combination of both, since that works really well for beef.
Every time I've done any sort of beef in the pressure cooker, the consensus appears to be that you should sear before putting it in the pressure cooker. After all, it usually comes out too tender to sear afterwards, anyway.
However, recipes for pork belly appear to call for the opposite: to sear the pork belly after it comes out of the pressure cooker.
I know that pork belly has a lot of fat & connective tissue, so is this perhaps the reason why the recipes call for the opposite? Will searing it before pressure cooking affect how that breaks down? Or is it really bound to not make that much of a difference?
Best Answer
If you sear the meat in the pressure cooker before putting the lid on, then the flavoring from the seared tidbits and caramelization will assist in bringing a fuller flavor to the finished recipe.
This is the same technique I use when I cook something in my Dutch Oven (as a substitute for my slow cooker). Instead of trying to transfer everything into the slow cooker, I simply slide my Dutch Oven into the oven and set the heat (for the equivalent of high or low).
I don't see any reason that the same principle shouldn't work for you with your pressure cooker.
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Quick Answer about "Sear pork belly before or after cooking in a pressure cooker?"
*If you really want to be fancy, after pressure cooking, sear the pieces of pork belly. Remove them from the broth, pat dry, then sear in a fry pan for 3 to 6 minutes a side over medium-high heat. This gives them crisp "bacony" edges to go with the tender interior.Should I sear pork before pressure cooking?
Even if you are making stew, it's better to brown the meat as a whole first. Season the meat with kosher salt and black pepper on both sides right before browning. Wait until your pressure cooker is piping hot. If you are using an Instant Pot, don't use the saute function.Do you need to sear meat before pressure cooking?
So, to recap, you don't need to pre-brown vegetables or meats. You just place it all in the pressure cooker and if you don't like the look when it's cooked , you can do a bit of browning afterward.Can you sear in a pressure cooker?
Searing meat in the Instant-Pot is not as good as using the stovetop, but it works better than I expected. Press the saute then adjust button to the highest setting, let it heat up 4-5 minutes, and sear your meat like you would on the stove top. The pressure cooker needs time to come to pressure.Should you sear pork?
The goal of any pork loin roast should be two-fold: a crisp crust and a rosy, juicy interior. Skipping a pan sear before roasting all but guarantees you'll miss out on the former.Lechon Kawali (Crispy Pork Belly) using an InstantPot Duo!
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Answer 2
This depend on how you are going to serve the pork belly. If you want to slice it into smaller pieces, say to place in a pork bun, for example, I would carefully remove from pressure cooker after cooking. Wrap and chill with a weight on it. Once chilled, slice/portion and sear individual pieces.
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