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steak and sear one side. Flip and repeat. Now just look at what you’ve done. You’ve doubled the flavor by doubling the seared surface area (and how about adding a bit of blue cheese in the center, too?)
     

THE TROUBLE WITH SEARING
     
    Doneness is a big issue. If the meat is thin enough, by the time the first side has earned its golden crust the interior will have cooked halfway through, so you flip. By the time the second side reaches maximum crustage (a minute or two longer than it took the first side, since the pan isn’t as hot) you should have a perfectly cooked piece of meat.
    However, the great majority of the meats that present themselves to the cook are not the perfect shape or size and therefore will not be done on the inside by the time the outer surfaces have reached golden brown and delicious status. The way I see it, you’re left with three solid choices:
1. Change the thickness of the food.
2. Sear to attain a yummy crust then finish cooking by another method.
3. Stick with foods that are natural-born searers.
     

     
Master Profile: Searing
     
Heattype : dry
 
     
Mode of transmission : 100-percent conduction
 
Rate of transmission: very high
 
Common transmitters: metal pans and griddles
 
Temperature range: the widest range of any cooking method, from very low to very, very high
 
Target food characteristics:
• low surface-to-mass ratio
• wide, flat shape
• high-protein foods that profit from a contrast between surface and interior doneness: beef steaks, tuna steaks, scallops
• starchy batters: pancakes, crepes, and so on
     
Non-culinary use: branding cattle (and in some cases, fraternity members)
SEARING: THE SHORT FORM
     
1. Decrease the difference in temperature between refrigerated meat and your oven before starting the process; counter the meat for up to 30 minutes, depending on the size.
As long as you’ve read the section called cleanliness is Next to. . . and put safe habits into practice, that is.

2. Don’t be afraid to let the pan get hot. Heat the pan over high heat for 2 to 3 minutes if the food is small (a single duck breast) or 5 minutes if the food is large (a flank steak). Consider several small pieces (four duck breasts) to be one big piece.
3. Season the meat with salt as soon as you put the pan on to heat.
4. Double-check everything before you start because once the food hits the pan, there is no turning back.
5. Examine both sides of the target food—whichever side looks best goes down first. When you turn the food, the pan isn’t as hot as it was when you started, so the second crust doesn’t form as quickly. This means it probably won’t look as gosh-darned delicious as the first side, which is why you cooked the handsome side first.
6. When you place the food in the pan there is going to be noise and maybe some smoke. Many people who cook respond to this by grabbing the food and moving it around. This is not a good thing to do.
7. The food is hot, it’s juicy, the kitchen smells great, the table’s set—time to dig in, right? Wrong. Heat is still applying pressure to the meat, and any slicing or poking will result in a rapid exodus of juicy goodness. Place seared meat on a resting rack, covered with a large bowl or loosely tented with foil. Wait 5 minutes. This will give you time to ponder a pan sauce (see Sauces ).
     
     
Skirt Steak: The Master Recipe
     
Skirt steak is flat, uniform in thickness, and rarely longer than a 12-inch pan is wide. Not only was it born to be seared, it is one of the leanest cuts of meat suitable for searing.
Software:
1 skirt steak (see Beef Blueprint )
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
 

 

Hardware:
Spray bottle for the oil
Cast-iron skillet
Resting rack
Aluminum foil or a large bowl
Application: Searing
Prep the meat. Remove the steak from the refrigerator, pat dry, and place on rack for at least 15 minutes. (Less difference between meat and oven temperature.)
Lube the meat. The goal