How to Pan Sear

Pan searing is a great way to cook meat and seafood. The high heat creates a nice crust that adds color, texture, and flavor.

Ingredients

  • Wegmans Pure Olive Oil
  • Salt and pepper or Seasoning Shak’r
  • Meat or Seafood to be pan-seared
  • Food You Feel Good About Pan Searing Flour (optional)
  • Wegmans Finishing Butter or Wegmans Organic Basting Oil and butter (optional)

Equipment

  • Cutting board
  • Digital thermometer
  • Tongs/Fish spatula
  • Knife
  • Pan searing pan (large heavy-gauge sauté pan)
  • Serving platters and/or storage containers
  • Spoon

Directions

1. Mise en Place

  • Measure and prep all ingredients.
  • Season protein with salt and pepper or Seasoning Shak’r. Lightly dust with pan searing flour; pat off excess. (Preheat oven to 350˚ if protein is thicker than 1/2-inch.)

2. Cook

  • Heat olive oil in pan on MED-HIGH until oil faintly smokes; add protein. (If oil smokes too much, pan is too hot, causing protein to burn on outside and stay raw on inside.)
  • Sear 1-3 min until protein changes color one-quarter of way up. Turn over.
  • Reduce heat to MED. (If thicker than ½-inch, place pan in preheated 350˚ oven.)
  • Cook 1-5 min until internal temp reaches 10 degrees lower than final target temp (check by inserting thermometer halfway into thickest part of protein). (If transferred to oven, replace pan on stove for final step.)
pan sear chart

3. Finish

  • Add finishing butter to pan (if preferred, replace finishing butter with basting oil and butter).
  • Swirl and baste protein with spoon, 1-3 min, until internal temp reaches target temp.
  • Transfer to serving platter; let rest at least 2 min.

Pan Searing Meat Recipes

Pan Searing Seafood Recipes