By Published Sept. 8, 2023.
This is Technique #54 from our 100 Techniques Every Home Cook Can Master.
Each technique is broken into three sections: why it works, key steps, and recipes that use it. Learn these recipe building blocks and you'll be set up for a lifetime of cooking success.
The enviable goal of pan-roasting meat is to achieve supercrispy texture on the exterior of the food while cooking the interior to a perfect degree of juicy doneness.
The most common approach involves stovetop followed by oven: searing first in a skillet on the stovetop to brown the exterior and then transferring it to a hot oven to finish cooking through.
But for the most spectacular deep-brown crust and uniformly juicy and properly cooked interior, we often do the opposite.
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The main issue with searing the meat before transferring it to the oven is that, in order for the surface of meat to brown, it first has to lose the water it contains.
Blasting raw meat on the stovetop with high heat long enough to dry out the surface will also start to overcook the layer below the surface.
In the high, prolonged heat of the oven that follows, the meat ends up turning dry throughout, with a gray band of overcooked meat around the exterior.
When it comes to small whole roasts and thick racks, ribs, chops, and steaks, we instead favor the hybrid cooking technique of searing the meat on the stovetop after roasting it in the oven—also known as reverse searing.
This involves first roasting the protein gently in a low oven until nearly done. Doing this gently renders fat and minimizes the temperature difference between the meat’s center and its exterior, so the meat cooks through evenly from edge to edge. This process also dries the exterior of the meat.
Then, since the exterior is already dry, the meat’s surface browns much more quickly once transferred to the stovetop.
With this method, there’s no time for the meat beneath the surface to overcook, and the food can also maintain a better crust since searing is the last step. (Reverse searing is so effective we use it for much more than beef.)
Here's a pro tip: Don’t be tempted to skip the stovetop sear and instead blast the meat under the broiler.
The radiant heat of the broiler doesn't work as quickly as direct contact with a hot metal pan, so even if you crank up the oven, the surface of the meat won’t develop a crust quickly enough and the interior will overcook.
Now that you know why this technique works, follow these key steps to do it at home.
While your oven preheats, season and prepare your meat however your specific recipe dictates.
Place the meat on a wire rack set in a rimmed baking sheet.
Roast the meat in a low oven until desired doneness is reached, flipping halfway through if directed.
Heat oil in a skillet on the stovetop until just smoking. Add your meat and quickly sear until well browned on all sides.
Let your meat rest on a carving board before slicing and serving.
Want to test out your newfound knowledge of roasting first and searing second? Try it with these recipes.
Ready to learn another technique? Choose from our list of 100 Techniques Every Home Cook Can Master.
