Pan sear without steaming

This week: one pan-searing habit that fixes the usual gray, wet surface. The three-card version is simple: dry first, heat with space, then stop fussing long enough for a crust to form.

Surface moisture spends pan heat on evaporation before browning, so pat the food dry and salt ahead when you can. For steak, J. Kenji Lopez-Alt recommends drying the surface and seasoning at least 45 minutes before cooking when time allows.1

Use a heavy pan, get it properly hot for normal-size cuts, and leave room around each piece. Crowding drops the pan temperature and traps steam, which works against browning.1

Let the crust set before you keep moving things around. Flip when the food releases cleanly, then finish by checking doneness with a thermometer rather than guessing from color alone.2

Save this one for steak, chicken cutlets, scallops, mushrooms, and anything else you want browned instead of steamed.