Searing doesn't seal juices
A seared steak loses about as much juice as an unseared one, because the crust isn't waterproof. Juice loss depends on how hot the inside gets. Searing buys you crust and flavor.
Browning creates flavor
Browning is the Maillard reaction: proteins and sugars on the surface react at high heat and form hundreds of new flavor compounds. It needs a dry surface, so pat the steak dry first.
Where the juice goes
Meat squeezes out water as its proteins tighten with heat. A steak at 54°C (130°F) is juicy. By 71°C (160°F) it has lost much more. A thermometer tells you when to stop.
Reverse sear
For a steak 4 cm (1.5 in) thick, cook it in a 135°C (275°F) oven until the center hits about 45°C (110°F). Then sear 1 to 2 minutes per side in a very hot pan. The slow start cooks evenly edge to edge, with no gray band.
Test yourself
Questions from the interactive lesson, with the answer and the why.
True or false: Searing a steak seals the juices inside.
False. The crust isn't waterproof. Searing adds flavor and doesn't seal.
A friend says you must sear the steak first to lock the juices in. What's the best reply?
Searing makes crust and flavor, and juice loss depends on inside temperature. The crust adds flavor, and doneness decides how much juice leaves.
Fill the blank: Browning really gets going once the surface passes about ___.
Browning really gets going once the surface passes about 285°F (140°C). Around this temperature the Maillard reaction runs fast enough to build a crust.
What went wrong? You sear a steak hard, see a puddle of juice on the plate, and decide the sear didn't work.
The sear never held juice in. A sear is a flavor step, not a seal.
