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Searing your steak over high heat is crucial because it seals in the fluids, am I right? False: Knowledgeable people dismiss the notion that a searing hot sear forms a barrier that traps moisture in meat. (This is not to say that scorching is not beneficial; we’ll talk about that later.)
Just by watching and listening to a steak sear, one may partially dispel the myth: even when the steak is squeezed downward, liquids still leak out. The steak hisses throughout the entire time it is in the pan, which is the sound of the water (or fluids) vanishing.
That’s not proof in and of itself, since the term “seal” may not always be taken literally, but when Serious Eats tested this myth by first searing a cut of meat, then roasting it, and then doing the same in reverse, it discovered that the first-seared meat had 1.68% less juice than the first-roasted meat.
Therefore, searing the steak first might possibly result in a drier steak. Granted, there wouldn’t be a statistically significant difference, but if searing accomplished the myth’s intended results, the finished product ought to be noticeably juicier. Although many recipes still recommend searing steak, you may still achieve a juicy outcome using alternative cooking methods. That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t sear steak.
Where The Legend Originated
Some have cited Aristotle’s writings regarding his belief that meat’s juices did not escape after it was contracted, suggesting that the idea that searing seals in a steak’s juices may have originated in ancient Greece. But after being formulated in the 1800s by a German physicist called Justus von Liebig, the theory probably became more well-known. In 1847, he wrote “Researches on the Chemistry of Food,” a book that detailed his hypothesis that heating meat to a high temperature would create a crust that would keep the juices from leaking out. As a result, his theory greatly affected the searing myth of today, and other famous chefs, like Auguste Escoffier of France, furthered the spread of his notion.
It’s crucial to remember that von Liebig’s initial hypothesis, which concentrated on boiling water and proposed that high temperatures would form a crust to seal in juices, was not just about searing. Von Liebig’s theories have been refuted whether they are applied to boiling or searing, despite the fact that this hypothesis was later reinterpreted to apply to searing.
Why Searing Your Steak Is Still Worth It
Beyond the myth of the juice, searing your steak is still a beneficial cooking technique when done properly. Most notably, the Maillard reaction is triggered by the high temperatures involved in searing, which appeals to consumers who want tasty steak. This basically results in browning and caramelization of the meat’s surface when it comes into touch with a hot pan or grill thanks to a chemical reaction between sugars and amino acids. This process doesn’t happen until the cooking temperature reaches about 280 degrees Fahrenheit. Some people contend that a considerable degree of Maillard reaction can only be achieved at a temperature of about 310 degrees Fahrenheit.
Roasting is another technique that can achieve these temperatures in addition to searing. However, roasting takes longer, and longer cooking times tend to draw out more moisture from the meat, so even if you get caramelization, the finished product will be drier and less appetizing. (This is also the reason that a lot of recipes call for roasting a steak in addition to searing it.)
In the end, even while searing might not completely seal in the juices of a steak, it doesn’t necessarily indicate that searing is bad or that your prime rib will become extremely dry; the key is to restrict how long you sear to avoid this.
read also: The 14 Steak Cuts You Should Never Purchase
In the end, even while searing might not completely seal in the juices of a , it doesn’t necessarily indicate that searing is bad or that your prime rib will become extremely dry; the key is to restrict how long you sear to avoid this. In the end, even while searing might not completely seal in the juices of a , it doesn’t necessarily indicate that searing is bad or that your prime rib will become extremely dry; the key is to restrict how long you sear to avoid this.
The Myth About Searing Steak We All Have To Unlearn (msn.com)