The food lab better home cooking through science ( PDFDrive ) 476

So, if none of these three methods is perfect on its own, why settle for just one? For steaks and chops, by combining pan-searing and torching into one hybrid technique, you can avoid all the disadvantages of either one alone I started by first searing one side of a steak in smoking-hot oil and butter (the browned butter solids help kickstart browning reactions) As soon as the browning started, I flipped the steak over and immediately started cooking that top surface with the full blast of a propane torch The layer of oil and butter clinging to its surface helped to distribute the heat of the flame evenly, leading to excellent, allover browning and charring and creating an unbeatable steak house broiler–quality crust in record time Finally, I flipped the steak back over and torched the second side What about the problem of the uncombusted propane leaving its telltale aroma? Turns out to not be a problem in this case Because of the heat of the skillet and the increased convection caused by the shifting heat of the pan, the propane gets plenty of oxygen and heat, allowing it to fully combust, leaving behind nothing but sweet, succulent, charred beef SOUS-VIDE AND RESTING W e all know that it’s important to rest your meat before serving It gives time for the juices inside to settle and thicken slightly, preventing them from leaking out excessively when you cut into the steak There are, as it turns out, some downsides to resting: Namely, your steak will have a more significant, crusty, snappy, sizzling crust when it’s fresh off the burner than after it’s rested This more appetizing crust will subsequently lead to greater production of saliva, which in turn will lead to a juicier sensation in your mouth when you chew the steak—or so the theory goes There is something ... flipped the steak back over and torched the second side What about the problem of the uncombusted propane leaving its telltale aroma? Turns out to not be a problem in this case Because of the heat of the. .. propane leaving its telltale aroma? Turns out to not be a problem in this case Because of the heat of the skillet and the increased convection caused by the shifting heat of the pan, the propane gets plenty of oxygen and heat, allowing it... meat before serving It gives time for the juices inside to settle and thicken slightly, preventing them from leaking out excessively when you cut into the steak There are, as it turns out, some downsides