Why do people still believe that searing meat seals in the juices?

I always thought searing was to give taste and colour to food, not just about ‘sealing in the juices’

I think it is safe to say that many people fail to keep up with information in general. Regarding… pretty much everything.

People probably believe it because it is commonly known that cauterizing a wound is the fastest way to stop bleeding. Want to keep the ‘blood’ in, burn it! It also makes a nice texture on the surface.

@classykeyser What is the verdict on letting meat rest before carving?

Because I never heard anyone say it was disproved decades ago. Who says?

Really? Now I have no excuse for burning the hell out of everything…That nugget of info completely takes away the joy of cooking for me ;)

I’m with @jaytkay , I never heard it was disproved. I’ll go on believing it, and my belief will simply make it so. Hmmmmmf.

Maybe because the heat drives the juices away from the surface so after they got it seared there was much in the way of liquid visible? Just a guess.
@lucillelucillelucille There’s always target practice? Raw meat’s kind of messy to use.

I just know that when I sear a T-bone on the grill, it ends up tasting better than if I didn’t sear it.

So I will continue to sear my meat when cooking.

I understand that the average person doesn’t know things like this, nor should they be expected to. Harold McGee and Herve This disproved this notion through chemistry experiments. I heard the fat slob on Man V Food say it and people watch that stuff religiously.

Well, average lil ol’ me will continue to sear, I guess.

@JilltheTooth I’m searing with you. I like the color and crunch.

@Adirondackwannabe @JilltheTooth Ditto!

@JilltheTooth Oh, for sure, searing still benefits the meat. I just wonder about this kind of thing because diners now take all kinds of information from television, then go out and eat.

@classykeyser So you get all these people that are suddenly “experts” showing up at your place?

@Adirondackwannabe We usually do, yeah. Which doesn’t bother me. I like that food is becoming popular enough culturally for people to seek out information. On the other hand, it’s a pain in the balls much of the time.

@classykeyser A little knowledge is a dangerous thing.

Like @TheOnlyNeffie said, people don’t tend to keep up with much. They hear things from time to time and just go with them until they have a reason not to do so.

There’s also the possibility that “sealing in the juices” was originally meant as a metaphor or some ad hoc explanation for why some people prefer seared meat to other preparations. In that case, the actual moisture content might not matter quite so much.

I think what someone said earlier about cauterization is a good point, it means that it’s not an unreasonable belief to hold. Moisture though, especially in cooked meat depends almost exclusively on the internal temperature of the done product. Any more than 150–155, you’re looking at increasingly dry food.

I sear tenderloin by 10 minutes under the low broiler setting, then turn the eat to 325 and bake it for 25 minutes. It’s a lovely rare to medium rare every time, no thermometer needed. Other than that, no beef except when I make chili. I can’t image seering chicken…

I can’t image seering chicken

I just signed up for a free at http://www.americastestkitchen.com to see what they had to say.

Interesting, they have a Pan Seared Chicken recipe but it’s reversed – first they bake at 275F, then sear with flour/corn starch/butter to create a crust.

@jaytkay, that sounds interesting.

I don’t.

@jaytkay They’re responsible for the Cook’s Illustrated, an utterly badass magazine.

You must not watch the show “good eats” do you?