The meat that was seared first and then roasted lost 1.68
percent more juices than the one that was roasted and then
seared. It’s not a huge difference, but the knowledge that
searing conclusively does not lock in juices was liberating in
the ways that it allowed me to think about the recipe.
Score:
- Commandment I: Perfect Crust? Check.
- Commandment II: No Gray Zone? Negative.
- Commandment III: Full-on Juiciness? Check.
Inside and Out
So, great, you may be thinking—you can sear first or you
can sear afterward, and it makes no difference. What’s the
big deal? Well, the big deal, as some of the more astute
readers may have noticed in looking at the timing above, is
that if you start with a raw roast, it takes around 15 minutes
in the hot pan to get a well-browned crust, during which
time the outer layers of the roast are busy heating up and
overcooking, just like they did when roasted in a 400°F
oven. But to get a well-browned crust after the prime rib has
been roasted, you need only around 8 minutes in the pan.
Why is this?
It all has to do with water.
In order for the surface of a roast to reach temperatures
above the boiling point of water (212°F), it must first
become completely desiccated. When you sear raw meat,
about half of its stay in the skillet is spent just getting rid of
excess moisture before browning can even begin to occur.
You know that vigorous sizzling sound when a steak hits a