How to Sear Steak in a Stainless Steel Frying Pan

How do you sear a steak in a stainless steel frying pan, step by step?

This method suits steaks about 2.5 cm (1 in) thick or more, such as ribeye, sirloin or rump. Thinner steaks can overcook in the middle before the outside browns, so give them less time per side.

An instant-read thermometer takes the guessing out of doneness. Many cooks take a steak off the heat at 54 to 57°C (130 to 135°F) for medium-rare. The temperature inside keeps rising by a few degrees after the steak leaves the pan, so take it off slightly early. The steps:

• Dry the steak. Pat every surface with kitchen roll. Water on the meat has to boil away before browning can begin.
• Salt at the right time. Salt right before the steak goes in, or at least 40 minutes ahead. Salt draws moisture to the surface within minutes, and it takes time for that brine to be reabsorbed.
• Preheat the empty pan. Give it two to three minutes over a medium to medium-high heat, then flick in a few drops of water. When they bead up and glide instead of spreading and hissing, the pan is ready.
• Add oil. Wipe out the water, add a thin film of an oil with a high smoke point, and wait for it to shimmer.
• Lay the steak in, away from you, and leave it. It will grip the steel at first. Once the crust forms, it releases on its own.
• Turn and baste. Turn the steak when it lifts cleanly. For extra flavour, lower the heat, add butter, garlic and thyme, tilt the pan and spoon the foaming butter over the top.
• Rest. Move the steak to a board or rack for about five minutes before slicing.

Why does an uncoated stainless steel pan brown a steak?

The brown crust on a seared steak comes from the Maillard reaction. Amino acids and sugars in the meat react under heat and form hundreds of new flavour and aroma compounds. The reaction runs slowly at low temperatures and speeds up sharply once the surface climbs well past water's boiling point of 100°C (212°F).

That is why dryness and preheating matter so much. While the surface is wet, its temperature is held near 100°C (212°F) by the evaporating water, so the steak steams instead of browning. A dry steak on a hot pan skips that stage and starts browning almost at once.

Bare steel adds one more ingredient: direct contact. With no coating on the cooking surface, the meat presses straight against hot metal, and some of its proteins and sugars briefly bond to it. Those stuck, browned bits are called fond. As the crust sets, the steak lets go and the fond stays behind in the pan.

Construction affects how evenly that heat arrives. Stainless steel on its own spreads heat slowly, so many stainless steel pans bond the steel around a more conductive metal such as aluminium. This kind of construction is often called tri-ply or clad cookware. Whatever the pan, a full preheat stores heat in the metal, so the surface doesn't collapse the moment a cold steak lands on it.

What oil should you use to sear steak?

Choose an oil with a published smoke point of roughly 205°C (400°F) or higher. Refined rapeseed, grapeseed, groundnut and avocado oils are common choices. Published smoke points vary by source and by how refined the oil is, so treat any single figure as a guide rather than a guarantee.

Whole butter starts to smoke at roughly 150 to 175°C (300 to 350°F), because its milk solids brown and burn quickly. That makes it a poor choice for the initial sear and a good one for basting once the heat is lowered. Clarified butter and ghee have had those milk solids removed and tolerate more heat.

You need only a thin film of oil. Too much fat pools around the steak and fries the edges unevenly. If the oil smokes hard before the steak goes in, take the pan off the heat for a moment.

What size frying pan do you need for one steak or two?

Frying pans are measured across the top rim, and the flat cooking surface is smaller than that number. Pick a pan where the steak lies flat with open space around it.

For one steak, a 24 cm (9.5 in) frying pan is a comfortable fit for most cuts. A 20 cm (8 in) pan works for a single small steak. For two steaks at once, a 28 cm (11 in) pan gives them room. If two steaks touch or fill the pan edge to edge, sear them one at a time. Our frying pan size guide covers the other everyday jobs each size handles.

How do you make a pan sauce from the fond?

While the steak rests, the fond left in the pan is ready to become a sauce. Pour off most of the fat, leaving about a tablespoon (15 ml). Over a medium heat, soften a chopped shallot for a minute.

Then deglaze. Add a splash of stock, wine or even water, and scrape the bottom with a wooden spoon. The liquid loosens the fond and dissolves it into the sauce. Let it reduce until it coats the spoon, then turn off the heat and swirl in a small piece of cold butter. Pour in any juices from the resting board and season to taste.

Stainless steel resists corrosion, so a brief simmer with wine or another acidic liquid is a routine use for it.

What are the most common mistakes when searing steak?

Most disappointing sears come from a short list of causes, and each one has a simple fix:

• A cold pan. If the water drops spread and hiss, keep heating. A steak added too early sticks and steams.
• A wet steak. Surface moisture must boil off before browning starts. Pat it dry every time.
• Moving it too soon. Pulling at the steak before the crust forms tears it away from the pan. Wait for the release.
• Crowding the pan. Too much meat drops the surface temperature and traps steam. Leave space, or cook in batches.
• The wrong fat. Low smoke point fats burn during the sear. Save butter for basting.
• Cutting straight away. Slicing the moment it leaves the pan lets more juice run onto the board. Give it a short rest.

What is the best pan for searing steak?

Any heavy, uncoated metal pan that can be fully preheated will sear a steak well. Stainless steel, cast iron and carbon steel all qualify. Stainless steel needs no seasoning, and its bright surface lets you see the fond build and judge when it is close to burning. Non-stick pans are made to resist exactly the contact that builds fond, and their coatings carry the maker's heat limits.

SEIDO frying pans have an uncoated 304 (18/8) stainless steel cooking surface. They come in 20 cm (8 in), 24 cm (9.5 in) and 28 cm (11 in), each sold with a lid, and each is oven-safe to 260°C (500°F) for up to 1 hour, lid off. They carry a 5-Year Limited Warranty.