Question about pork loin in slow cooker?

[FrostingNinja]

Hello everyone!

New here, but in dire need of help with the pork loin currently sitting in my slow cooker. I added a half cup of water as required by my recipe, but as my pork loin has cooked a weird, gelatinous goo has formed. I'm just wondering if this is normal or not. Do I need to do anything about it? Will it change my cook time/temp? Will it affect the flavor or texture of the meat? Thanks a bunch!

 

[Dawgluver]

Welcome to DC!

Fear not. Keep cooking your pork loin, the goo will probably reabsorb. It won't affect anything. If it doesn't reabsorb, at the end of your cooking time, just skim it off.

 

[FrostingNinja]

Ty! It seems to be growing rather than reabsorbing, but I think it will be fine to just skim it off. I'm checking the temperature in the middle of the loin with my meat thermometer, so as long as it gets up to temp, I'm just not going to worry about it.

 

[ChefIan]

Hi FrostingNinja!

Without seeing the actual goo - I suspect that what you are dealing with is the coagulating protein from the pork loin.

As meat cooks, it shrinks which forcing the proteins on the inside to come out on the surface. Also - once the juices on the inside of the meat start getting hot, they try to escape.

Your escaped juices then coagulate on the surface of the meat - This happens really often with slow cooked and "wet" cooked meats.

Dawgluver has it right - Just skim it off when it is done.