How-To-Do-a-Perfect-Pan-Sear
February 10, 2012
•Le Cordon Bleu
•Portland
• 0 Comments
How To Do a Perfect Pan-Sear
You’ve seen it in food commercials on TV, in ads in magazines, and on your favorite food-related TV show. It’s the pan-sear, when the outside of piece of meat or vegetable is cooked to mesmerizing golden brown with bits of charred perfection everywhere.
And then you turn to your own food and … well, let’s just say it isn’t the same. So how do you get that crunchy texture and beautiful color without over cooking or investing in a commercial grad flattop griddle and an Oregon cooking school education? The secret is in the heat – the higher the better. The second key is timing, but we’ll get to that later. So save your money on cooking classes and read on to learn how to make perfect pan-seared food.
Searing vs. Grilling
Some say the best way to cook a piece of meat is to grill it over an open flame, a la the backyard barbeque. There is no doubt that the combination of smoke and flame makes for a great slice of meat. There are others, however, who believe that the pan-sear is the way to go. They don’t dislike grilling, but they don’t think it is the best way to make your favorite steak or burger.
Each method has its own adherents. But we give pan-searing a slight culinary edge. Why? Because of the pan sauce. A pan sauce is made by adding liquids like wine or stock to a pan that was used to sear a piece of meat. The liquid deglazes the pan and puts all the browned bits or fondant into the sauce. They are usually finished with butter or cream and served over the sizzling hot meat. The flavor is unbeatable, even by your trusty Weber grill.
Pan-Seared Steak with Red Wine Pan Sauce
Many top of the line steakhouses actually pan-sear their choice cuts instead of grilling them. It’s easy to do and the results better than you’ll believe.
Ingredients:
- Two 8-ounce boneless New York strip steaks
- Coarse sea salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 cup red wine
- 1 shallot thinly sliced
Preparation:
- Heat a cast iron skillet over med-high heat for 3 to 4 minutes
- Season both sides of the steaks
- Add two ½ tablespoon pats of butter to the skillet. Once melted, place the steaks in the skillet over the butter
- Let them cook for exactly 2 minutes. It is important to not move the meat before that time. Even if it seems like it’s burning. Just turn down the heat a little and turn on your kitchen fan. It is this time that creates that seared, flavorful crust we talked about earlier
- After two minutes turn the steaks and let them cook until they reach 125 degrees F on the inside
- Remove them from the pan and cover with foil while you make the pan sauce
- Return the skillet to the heat and pour in the red wine. Use a spatula to scrape the brown bits from the pan
- Once it starts to boil, add the shallots
- Simmer until the mixture is reduced by approximately half
- Add one tablespoon of butter and stir until melted and incorporated.
- Serve immediately along with the seared steak
This article is presented by Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts in Portland. Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts in Portland offers culinary arts and pâtisserie and baking training programs in Portland, Oregon. To learn more about the class offerings, please visit Chefs.edu/Portland for more information.
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