The food lab better home cooking through science ( PDFDrive ) 775

Score: • Commandment I: Perfect Crust? Negative • Commandment II: No Gray Zone? Check • Commandment III: Full-on Juiciness? Unknown The Myth of the Sear Jump back a couple of decades and the solution to my dilemma would have been obvious It was a commonly held belief (and still is by many home cooks and professional chefs alike) that in order to help a roast, steak, or chop retain moisture, you should first sear it, creating a crust that will “lock in the juices.” Now, anyone who has read their Harold McGee or has ever seen juices squeeze out through the seared side of a steak after you flip it over on the grill knows that this can’t possibly be completely true But what about partially true? Could a sear actually help retain at least some of the juices? In order to test this, I cooked two roasts cut from the same rib sections, with comparable surface areas, weights, and fat contents according to the following processes: • Roast 1: Seared in a pan in 3 tablespoons canola oil over high heat on the stovetop until a well-browned crust formed (about 15 minutes), then transferred to a 300°F oven and roasted to an internal temperature of 120°F, removed, and rested for 20 minutes (during which time the temperature in the center rose to 125°F and then dropped back down to 120°F) • Roast 2: Roasted in a 300°F oven to an internal temperature of 120°F, removed, and seared in a pan in tablespoons canola oil over high heat on the stovetop until a well-browned crust formed (about minutes), then rested for 20 minutes (during which time the center temperature rose to 125°F and then dropped back down to 120°F) PERCENTAGE RETAINED WEIGHT VERSUS SEARING ORDER ... tablespoons canola oil over high heat on the stovetop until a well-browned crust formed (about minutes), then rested for 20 minutes (during which time the center temperature rose to 125°F and then dropped back down to 120°F) PERCENTAGE RETAINED... on the stovetop until a well-browned crust formed (about 15 minutes), then transferred to a 300°F oven and roasted to an internal temperature of 120°F, removed, and rested for 20 minutes (during... 120°F, removed, and rested for 20 minutes (during which time the temperature in the center rose to 125°F and then dropped back down to 120°F) • Roast 2: Roasted in a 300°F oven to an internal temperature