'Sealing' Meat

[Pferdestarke]

I'm sure there will be a difference of opinion on this one, but I find myself getting annoyed when people think they are sealing in the juices by searing a steak etc. Even top TV chefs are guilty of this, but how on earth does contact between meat and a hot pan equate to an impermeable vapour barrier on the meat?

The caremelisation which occurs is due to the moisture within the meat being drawn out by the high temperature of the pan and evapourating, leaving natural sugars and the meat itself to intensify in flavour.

Time after time I hear the likes of James Martin saying "seal the meat to trap in its juices" but I just don't agree.

I know it's trivial but it has become so accepted that people don't consider it. Apart from Heston and me!!

[juice]

I think of searing as "creating flavour".

There's this chef called Alton Brown on the Food network who has the program "Good Eats" - A semi Scientific approach to cooking - its really excellent - Anyway he did an experiment (as part of a recipe) to test the moisture content of two pieces of meat that had been cooked to the same internal temperature, the seared meat actually held onto less moisture than the unseared piece...

[The Dude]

Pferdestarke said:

I'm sure there will be a difference of opinion on this one, but I find myself getting annoyed when people think they are sealing in the juices by searing a steak etc. Even top TV chefs are guilty of this, but how on earth does contact between meat and a hot pan equate to an impermeable vapour barrier on the meat?

The caremelisation which occurs is due to the moisture within the meat being drawn out by the high temperature of the pan and evapourating, leaving natural sugars and the meat itself to intensify in flavour.

Time after time I hear the likes of James Martin saying "seal the meat to trap in its juices" but I just don't agree.

I know it's trivial but it has become so accepted that people don't consider it. Apart from Heston and me!!

It's not really a new revelation - have a read of Harold McGee.

It's meaning has probably been lost to the general public over the years. I don't believe any chef worth his salt would actually talk about sealing meat in terms of holding in the juices. Including James Martin, who I actually rate quite highly as a cook.

[Rescue Dude]

He's got a good car collection too.

[Stu R]

I agree, load of borrox.

More annoying is when searing and sealing are confused with eachother.

[Noger]

Pferdestarke said:

The caremelisation which occurs is due to the moisture within the meat being drawn out by the high temperature of the pan and evapourating, leaving natural sugars and the meat itself to intensify in flavour.

It isn't caremelisation, as meat contains no sugar. Nor is it entirely the Maillard reaction as it probably involves protein breakdown too.

[neilsfishing]

It looks good though on TV

[Melman Giraffe]

However I do find if you brown off the meat (chicken for example) before you add it to a stew in a slow cooker it does stop it from drying out.

[Mobile Chicane]

'Searing' meat doesn't seal it - it adds flavour. The way to ensure that the juices stay in whatever piece you're cooking is to start with the meat at room temperature, and rest it in a warm place before carving.

[Noger]

The only way to prevent water loss is to cook the meat at < 50C. That is the temperature that collagen contracts at, squeezing out the water like a sponge.