Should I lightly boil or steam meat (eg, beef) before searing?
The common technique I know of is braising, or, basically, sear the meat (eg beef, pork, chicken), 2 minutes per side, then add liquid, cover, and put in oven at low heat for 1 - 2 hours. This works great for flavorful, tender meat. However, it does not develop a crust or 'bark' on the surface, I think because the 2nd part of covered heating in the oven causes the surface of the meat to get lots of liquid. And any sauce or dry seasoning I put on the surface of the meat falls off. This leads to the meat having a single texture of tender and moist.
Is there a technique of slow, covered cooking first, followed by searing or heating to get the desired crust or bark on the surface? My goal is to have the tender, moist texture on the inside, complemented by a drier, crunchier surface with lots of dry seasoning.
Best Answer
Yes, but I don't know if there's an official name for it. We do this a lot in pressure cooking, to get the appealing mallard reactions (caramelization). Typically, after cooking you can put the meat under the broiler to crisp it up (common examples are a whole chicken or carnitas).
Example recipe for Carnitas: https://callhimyeschef.com/2013/02/19/carnitas-under-pressure/
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Should you boil beef before cooking?
Boiled meat can make a tender and juicy stew or pot roast. Tough cuts of beef are tenderized through a slow cooking process using a small amount of liquid in a covered pot. Cooking with moist heat will not only make meat tender but also increase the digestibility and bioavailability of nutrients.Do you sear meat before boiling?
Next, break a rule: You don't need to sear the meat before braising it. Most chefs and home cooks would agree that seared meat has more depth and flavor than meat that's just been simmered in liquid, due to the Maillard reaction that takes place when you apply high heat to protein and create browning.Is it okay to boil meat before frying?
The distribution of heat will be more even if you use a lot of fat when frying \u2013 but make sure not to boil the meat in butter or oil. Unless the meat has been breaded, you don't have to worry about the meat picking up fat.Can you brown meat after boiling it?
With my technique, you can also cook the meat until tender hours or even a couple of days before serving. Then it's simply a matter of reheating and browning it right in the same pot in the oven. Finally, during the browning step, the liquid reduces further, creating a robust sauce to serve with the meat.How to boil meat perfectly (TENDER MEAT and RICH STOCK)
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