Searing

Searing is a technique used in grilling, roasting, braising, sautéing, etc. that cooks the surface of the food (usually meat, poultry or fish) at high temperature so that a caramelized crust forms. A similar technique, browning, is typically used to sear or brown all sides of a particular piece of meat, fish, poultry, etc. before finishing it in the oven.

Sealing in the juices

The belief that searing meat "seals in the juices" is widespread and still often repeated. This theory was first put forth forward by Justus von Liebig, a German chemist and food scientist, around 1850{{ref|myref-1}}. The notion was embraced by contemporary cooks and authors including Auguste Escoffier.

Related Topics:
Justus von Liebig - Auguste Escoffier

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Simple experimentation can test the theory: cook two similar cuts of meat, searing one first and not the other. Weigh the end results to see which loses more moisture. (The Food Network program Good Eats carried out such a test in episode EA1H22, Myth Smashers.) As early as the 1930s, such experiments were carried out; the seared roasts lost the same amount of moisture or more. (Generally more, since searing exposes the meat to higher temperatures.)

Related Topics:
Food Network - Good Eats

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In short, the crust created by searing is in no way waterproof. Moisture in liquid and vapor form can and does continue to escape from a seared piece of meat.

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