How to get a perfect sear on meat

Cooking meat well is something that takes practice.

While a nice color on a piece of meat looks inviting, more importantly, that color means flavor.

When you sear a piece of meat, the sugars in the meat are caramelized. 
The result is delicious and that sear on the meat also helps to keep the moisture inside.

The good news is that searing meat is easy and it involves few steps.

How to get a perfect sear on pork, red meat or chicken:

• Take the meat out of the refrigerator and
  
   bring it to room temperature before cooking it. 
  Don’t leave it out more than an hour.
  

  
• With a paper towel, pat the meat dry to remove any moisture from the surface. That moisture can interfere with the searing process.
• Drizzle the surface of the meat with a small amount of olive oil and season with pepper and sea salt 
  (I also use other spices and garlic)
  

  

  
   Give the meat a nice little massage so the surface is evenly coated.
• In a pan, heat your olive oil. 
  Tip: when a drop of water sizzles when it hits the surface of the pan, you’re ready to add your meat.
• Put your meat in the pan 
  (fat side down if applicable).
• Don’t flip your meat too soon.
   Leave the surface of the meat on the hot pan until the meat is deeply colored, and it doesn’t stick when you move it. 
  Sear both sides of the meat.
  

  
• For a steak, searing a steak properly may cook it enough for your preference if you like a rare steak. Leave it in the pan a little longer if you like it cooked more, or finish it in the oven at 400 degrees.
• For pork chops, searing alone probably won’t cook the meat thoroughly. Finish in the oven at 400 degrees or keep it in the pan until it’s done.

• For chicken, put the meat in and keep the surface of the chicken in contact with the pan until it’s nice and brown. Do not flip it before it’s ready! When a crust has developed and the meat no longer sticks, flip it over.
• The searing process won’t necessarily cook the chicken through, so if you need to give it more time in the pan, turn the pan to low and add a little bit of liquid (wine is a great choice) before covering the pan. That heat will continue cooking the meat without burning it or drying it out. You could also finish it in the oven at 400 degrees.

Practice makes perfect!

Stay Frugal,
Daniela

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Savvy Southern Style
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