The searing of meat to lock in the juices and the flavor, making for a more succulent cut, has been an ongoing argument for thousands of year. Even the legendary Aristotle tackles the dilemma in one of his discourses. The argument has been well heated for some time as many have given it some serious thought, serious argument, and serious experimentation.
- In an effort to understand the debate, it is necessary to understand exactly what searing is and what is actually does. To arrive at that point where the meat takes on that light crust, it must be done with dry heat methods which include roasting, sautéing, grilling and, of course, searing. This dry heat wonder will occur at temperatures of at least 310 degrees F. The meat is rapidly browned and crusted at a heat that can be over 450 degrees F or greater and this is what produces what is generally known as searing.
- Both sides of your butcher’s cut must be seared to retain the moisture and the juices. As your meat is cooking, however, it will experience a loss of moisture but the searing of the cut will impede further moisture loss.
- To add that additional tenderness and flavor to your cut of meat, searing would be a good way to go. As you quickly cook the meat with a little bit of added fat, using a high and dry heat, the searing will produce a cut of meat that will be more flavorful, more tender, and will come with a more exciting look and presentation.
- The searing will greatly help those cuts of meat that are naturally less tender than others. Without first giving it a good searing, these cuts can end up being rather tough and may take on a grayish pallor that is less pleasing to the eye. So, in the end, searing your favorite butcher cuts just may produce a more enhanced and enjoyable dining experience than if you decided against the searing.