Searing-The Secret To The Perfect Steak

Searing-The Secret To The Perfect Steak

Let me start out this section by
saying that, for me, the perfect
steak is medium rare. To cook a
steak to well done is an
unforgivable sin. That being said,
if you want your steak well done,
then don't use the searing
method. If you do, you will end up
with a steak that is charred and
dry. Now that I have expressed
my opinion on the perfect steak,
let's get to the method.
To begin with, searing is not just for steaks. The best way to grill a
great prime rib is to start it out at a high temperature and sear the
surface and then lower the temperature to finish cooking it. Other
meats as well, such as chicken, pork chops and roast will benefit from
searing. The process of searing is essentially "browning" the meat,
which gives it a delicious flavor and a little bit of a crusty surface. If
your steak isn't browned it just isn't right.
What you want when you sear is to add that flavor and still end up
with a juicy piece of meat. How can you get your meat seared just
right? The first thing to know about searing is not to be apprehensive.
Just because the meat has started to turn brown doesn’t mean that it’s
time to turn it . You want the meat to have a dark brown color before
turning, not just a golden color. This browning is what gives the steak
the flavor you are looking for.
To get a good sear, there are steps that need to be taken before
lighting the grill. You need to have a good clean grilling surface in
order to have even contact between the metal and the meat. If you
are using fatty cuts of meat you don't need to oil the grate, but if you
do need to oil the grate, you want to use sunflower, canola or
safflower oils because these oils will not break down at high
temperatures like olive oil or lard. When oil breaks down it causes
smoke and will leave an unpleasant taste to your meat.
The next thing is to make sure the surface of the meat is dry. If you
use a marinade, make sure all the marinade is dripped off the meat
before placing on the grill.
Now that you have a dry piece of meat and a clean grill, you will need
to preheat the grill. If you are using a gas grill you will need to set
both of the grills main burners to high and close the grill cover. You
will want to let the grill get as hot as you can get it. If you know your
grill you will know how long this takes. If you are a beginner about 10-
15 minutes should do it.
If you are using a charcoal grill, you will need to build a two layer fire.
This, as covered in a previous chapter requires that you build a two
layer fire on one side of the grill and a single layer on the other. You
will then sear the meat on one side of the grill and cook it the rest of
the way on the other. Charcoal fires are ideal for searing because you
get a more intense heat. You can tell when the charcoal fire is hot
enough to sear by the hand test. You will not be able to hold your hand
over the searing fire. For the finishing fire you want it at about
medium-high heat (you can hold your hand over it for a count of
three).
The grill is now ready for searing. Have everything you need close by
because you will have to move fast. This is especially true for the gas
grill. The grill has stored up as much heat as it can by now and you will
want to keep as much of that heat inside the grill as possible. You will
now need to lift the lid and get the meat on the grill as fast as you can
and then re-close the lid.
If you are a beginner you are going to turn the meat after one minute.
As you gain experience you can adjust this time so that you get the
perfect browning. Your aim is to get a nice dark brown color to the
meat without lifting the grills lid to check it. When turning the meat
you want to act fast, as before, and position the meat as you turn it so
that it is on a previously unused part of the grill. Sear this side for 1
minute and then open the grill. On a gas grill turn the heat down to
medium-high and finish cooking , on the charcoal grill you will want to
move the meat to the side with the single layer fire to finish. When you
move the meat turn it the opposite way so that you get a criss cross
grilling pattern on the meat.
If you are searing a roast or prime rib, you will need to move the meat
to an indirect fire to finish it off.
After your meat has reached the desired doneness, remove it from
the grill and let it sit for about five minutes before serving. This will let
the juices in the meat return to the surface.
Just as with the other methods of grilling, searing will take some
practice. If you find that the meat has been overcooked you will need
to adjust accordingly. If you didn't get the dark brown sear that we are
looking for, you will need to increase the time you sear a little bit. No
two grills are the same and weather can also effect cooking times.
Experience and patience is the key to getting the perfect sear and the
perfect steak.

Posted in: Grilling,Grillmaster