Searing

Searing is a cooking technique that applies very high, direct heat to the surface of food, usually meat, poultry, pork or seafood, until a browned crust forms, and it is used as a step within methods such as grilling, roasting, braising and sauteing rather than as a stand-alone way of fully cooking food. The surface must reach a high temperature, roughly 150 degrees Celsius or higher, and stay free of excess surface water for the crust to form. Contrary to a common kitchen belief, searing does not seal in a food's juices and in fact results in somewhat more moisture loss than cooking without it; cooks use it instead for the flavor produced by the Maillard reaction, for visual browning, and for the textural contrast between a crisp exterior and a tender interior.