Sear

Searing food is easy and helps create great flavor.  Just about anything can get a sear, and just about everything can benefit from it.  Obviously the first thing that comes to mind is a juicy steak.  Well my mind anyway.

Please note that searing food does not “lock in” the juices.  It does no such thing.   You are actually creating new flavors and a great crust!

What is searing?

Searing is a dry method of applying very hot heat to food in a very fast amount of time.  Sometimes it is also called “browning”.  So how hot is hot?  Searing starts at 230F.

When you sear a piece of meat you are vaporizing the water on the surface and then chemically changing the carbohydrates, sugars and amino acids on the surface into other very very tasty chemicals.  So, searing actually introduces new flavors to your food that were not there to begin with.

That “sizzle” you hear when you are searing a piece of meat is the water vaporizing.  This is a good thing to hear and if you do not hear the sizzle you are actually steaming your meat with the water steam and there will be no crust formed. (-insert sad panda face-)

How to sear?

Because the sear is the fastest way to get heat into food, the best method to do that is direct contact with metal.  My preference is a Cast Iron pan or skillet.  Metal is a great conductor and can conduct the heat into the food faster than liquid or air.  There is no way you can get the same seared crust with liquid because water can not get hot enough.  Air can get hot enough, but it’s only fast on a charcoal grill or under the broiler.  If you’re in the oven, you can achieve a sear after the surface of your food has dried out and the surface temperature gets high enough.

With searing you do not need to use any oil or fat on the protein.  You can use some if you want for flavor, but you want to apply it to the protein not to the pan.  So if you plan on searing a steak you want to rub a little oil on the steak before you put it in the pan.  Do NOT use too much.  Really, just a light rub of oil is all you need.

Once you have your protein ready you need to get your pan ready.  You need to heat up your pan so it’s HOT.  It’s ok to let it heat for a couple of minutes with nothing in it.  Do NOT use non-stick pans for the sear.

Once your pan is sufficiently hot, add the piece of protein and do NOT touch it.  Just let it sit there and sizzle to form the sear.  If you move your protein you will not get a sear.

How will you know if its the pan is hot enough?  Well if you don’t have a laser thermometer not to worry.  Just sprinkle a little water on the pan.  If it sizzles and jumps around then you’re ready.  If it doesn’t, give it another minute or two.

With searing, you do not need to worry about your food sticking to the pan.  When you first add the protein to the pan it will stick, if you move it you will screw up your sear.  The pan will release the protein once the sear has been completed.  Turn over and repeat.

The sear can be your only cooking method, which is great for thin steaks, but it can also be just one method you use.  If you’re making a stew, you can sear your meat first and then stew it giving your stew a extra depth of flavor from the sear.

Now what?  My steak is seared…..

Now that you seared that steak to a nice medium rare, what the heck are you supposed to do with those crusty little tidbits in the pan?  I guess you could clean it, but that would be such a waste.  Why not de-glaze it and make a steak sauce?  You’re already 3/4 of the way there!  Those tid-bits of crunchy deliciousness is called the “fond” by the French.  And that “fond” is the starting point for some great sauces!