You’ve most likely heard of pan searing. But do you know how to do execute this common cooking technique perfectly?
Pan searing is easy to do. Other than that, it works great on a wide variety of dishes, from steaks to vegetables – sealing their flavor and juices. Read on, I have listed the step-by-step process on how you can perfectly pan-sear meat or vegetables in no time.
9 Steps To Perfectly Pan-Sear Meat Or Vegetables
Nothing tastes better than food sizzling on a pan. If you want to cook delicious seafood, meat, and veggies, pan searing is a great option. It is a quick and simple way to infuse your meals with texture and flavor.
Follow these steps for a perfectly pan-seared dish:
1. Prepare the meat or veggies
Cut your meat or veggies into portion-sized pieces. For instance, cauliflowers should be cut into ½ inch to 1-inch slabs. They are too large to cook evenly so you must cut them. For meats like steaks, you can go for rib eye or sirloin.
2. Season them up
When it comes to prepping your meat or veggies for pan searing, a generous sprinkle of salt and pepper goes a long way. Make sure to season both sides evenly.
3. Preheat the pan
The pan should be nice and hot before adding the veggies or meat. So, set it on high heat. You can use cast iron for meat and non-stick pans for veggies.
4. Add oil
Put 1 to 2 tablespoons of oil into the pan. Then, lower the heat to medium. It’s recommended to use oils, such as peanut, grapeseed, and or canola since they have high smoke points. Wait until the oil starts to shimmer before adding the food to the pan. You can also flick a drop of water to know whether the pan is ready.
5. Reduce the heat
Carefully add the meat or veggies. Make sure to not overcrowd the pan because the food might not cook evenly. Try cooking in batches instead if you’re cooking for a couple of guests. Let it sear until one side turns brown in color.
6. Flip to the other side
Flip and sear the other side by using tongs or spatula. The meat or veggies should easily flip if their crusts have formed properly. But if they’re still sticking, wait for a few minutes before turning the other side. For meat, especially steaks, it’s a great idea to have a meat thermometer on hand. This will help you determine whether the inside of the meat has cooked through or not.
7. Put it in the oven
To finish cooking, you can transfer the whole pan inside the oven. But this is optional. This step is used for thick cuts of meat, such as chicken breasts and steak.
8. Let it rest
Let the food sit for at least 5 minutes before cutting or serving. This will ensure that your dish is tender, juicy, and flavorful. You can cover it with foil so that it won’t turn cold.
9. Make some sauce
To add more flavor to your pan-seared meat or veggie, pour sauce in it. While the food is resting, add 2 tablespoons of butter on the same cooking pan and sauté chopped shallots, thyme, rosemary, garlic, and sage. You can also add a squeeze of lemon or a tablespoon of wine for the sauce.
