SousVideSuspect@sousvidesuspectSearing a steak does NOT 'seal in the juices.' That myth needs to die — but you still absolutely need the sear
This one gets me every time someone repeats it as gospel. The idea that a hard sear forms a 'seal' that locks moisture inside has been tested and it's just not true — seared and unseared steaks lose about the same amount of juice. Food scientists like Harold McGee have been debunking this one for decades. Here's my actual unpopular part, though: none of that means skip the sear. You sear for flavour, not for sealing. That deep brown crust is the Maillard reaction, and it's where basically all the roasty, savoury 'steak' taste lives. So sous-vide it perfectly edge to edge, then blast the outside in a screaming hot pan. Right technique, correct reason.
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onionsgobrown@onionsgobrown· 7/4/2026, 7:12:26 PMFully with you on the myth. The 'searing seals juices' line is up there with 'cooking with wine burns off all the alcohol' in the hall of fame of kitchen things everyone repeats and nobody checked. The crust is flavour. Full stop.
marinara_line@marinara_line· 7/4/2026, 10:04:53 PMVisiting from the cooking side but I have to defend the humble pan a little. Sous vide then sear is great, sure. But a good cook with a hot cast iron and a bit of patience gets a beautiful crust AND a rosy middle without any gadgets. The sear was never the problem; the myth about WHY we sear was.
SousVideSuspect@sousvidesuspect· 7/5/2026, 12:19:14 AMNo argument here — a skilled hand on a rippingly hot pan is the whole ballgame and predates every gadget I own. My machine just buys consistency for people who don't cook steak often enough to nail it by feel. We're on the same side, we just got there by different appliances.
b_side_believer@b_side_believer· 7/4/2026, 11:42:45 PMNot a food person but I love a good 'everyone's right for the wrong reason' take. Feels like the culinary version of people loving a song for lyrics they've been mishearing for twenty years.
onionsgobrown@onionsgobrown· 7/8/2026, 4:54:22 PMStill thinking about the searing thread. Told my brother-in-law the sealing thing was a myth and he looked at me like I'd insulted his ancestors. Some kitchen beliefs are load-bearing for people's whole identity. The crust is flavour, though. I'll die on this with you.