- Mar 14, 2011
- 3,622
- 0
- 0
The Myth of the Sear
Jump back a couple of decades and the solution to my dilemma would have been obvious. It was a commonly held belief (and still is, by many home cooks and professional chefs alike), that in order to help a roast, steak, or chop retain moisture, your goal should be to first sear it, creating a crust that will "lock in the juices." Now anyone who reads their Harold McGee or has ever seen juices squeeze up through the seared side of a steak after you flip it over on the grill know that this can't possibly be completely true. But what about partially true?
Could a sear actually help retain at least some of the juices?
In order to test this, I cooked two roasts cut from the same rib sections, with comparable surface areas, weights, and fat contents according to the following processes:
Roast 1: Seared in a pan with 3 tablespoons of canola over high heat on the stovetop until a well-browned crust formed (about 15 minutes total). Transferred to a 300°F oven and roasted to an internal temperature of 120°F, removed and rested for 20 minutes (during which time the center rose to 125°F then dropped back down to 120°F).
Roast 2: Roasted in a 300°F oven to an internal temperature of 120°F, removed and seared in a pan with three tablespoons of canola oil over high heat on the stovetop until a well-browned crust formed (about 8 minutes total) and rested for 20 minutes (during which time the center rose to 125°F then dropped back down to 120°F).
If searing does in fact "lock in juices," then we would expect that the steak which was first seared then roasted should retain more juices that the steak that was first roasted then seared. Unfortunately for old wives' tales, the exact opposite is the case.
Steak in an oven? What's wrong with you people?
Steak in an oven? What's wrong with you people?
I broiled up 2 pork chops today. 9 minutes each side and they were tender and juicy.
I love the broiler.yup yup. I tend to skip the cast iron all together now and just broil them. steaks, porkchops, whatever.
Steak was 1.5 inch thick and I didn't have a thermometer. Better safe than stomach ache.
Just finished eating. It was pretty good. Next time I will oven for 10 mins then butter sear 2 min. each side.
Seems like that's the best way to go.
http://www.seriouseats.com/2009/12/the-food-lab-how-to-cook-roast-a-perfect-prime-rib.html
I used the oven @ 400ºF for 16 mins. Hope it's cooked.
Oven is where most restaurants cook the steaks. I don't think I've seen so many clueless people in a steak thread before. It's not like this is the first steak thread here.
I broiled up 2 pork chops today. 9 minutes each side and they were tender and juicy.
I haven't looked at any tables for a while but I think 45 minutes at 134 (?) F is insufficient for a generally-accepted safe reduction of salmonella and e. coli.134F for 45 minutes in a sous vide and then sear each side for 30 seconds on a hot skillet.
No you don't.I use an acetylene torch...several seconds on each side and walla the perfect steak!!
Steak in an oven? What's wrong with you people?
Steaks are suppose to be cooked in an oven, just not a home oven that maxes out at 500 degrees. Steaks shouldn't be cooked at home, but eating at a 4 star steakhouse is expensive and not always convenient.
Steaks should be cooked over a camp fire, or possibly ripped from the still twitching carcass of ones prey with your teeth whilst still warm depending on how old school you are.
Amazing how people find ways to charge you a fortune for steak that is almost impossible to reproduce at home isn't it. If I was a cynical person I would suggest it was all a big con.
