I can never get a good sear on my steak at home. It always turns out gray and steamed instead of brown and crusty. Restaurant steaks look so much better.
The difference between restaurant steaks and home steaks comes down to three things: temperature, dryness, and fat. First, get your pan screaming hot. Use a cast iron skillet and heat it on high for a full 5 minutes before cooking. Restaurant burners produce much more heat than home stoves, so we compensate by preheating longer. Second, the surface of the steak must be completely dry. Pat it thoroughly with paper towels on both sides. Moisture is the enemy of browning because the water has to evaporate before the Maillard reaction (browning) can start, which means the surface steams instead of searing. Season generously with salt and pepper right before cooking, not hours ahead which draws moisture out. Third, use a high smoke point oil like avocado oil. Add a thin layer to the hot pan, then place the steak gently away from you. Do not move it for 3-4 minutes. Resist the urge to poke, press, or flip early. When it releases easily from the pan with a dark crust, flip once and cook for 3-4 more minutes for medium rare on a 1-inch thick steak. Add a tablespoon of butter, crushed garlic, and fresh thyme to the pan in the last minute and baste the steak by tilting the pan and spooning the melted butter over the top. Rest the steak on a cutting board for 5 minutes before cutting. This redistributes the juices so they stay in the meat instead of running onto the plate.
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