sear

Sear is a term that appears in cooking and as a proper noun. In cooking, to sear means to brown the surface of meat, fish, vegetables, or other foods rapidly using high heat. The goal is to develop a flavorful crust through the Maillard reaction while keeping the interior moist. Searing is typically performed in a hot heavy pan or on a grill, often with a small amount of oil or fat to promote browning. Techniques include pan-searing, where food is placed in an oiled pan and cooked without moving too much, and sear-and-roast, where the initial browning is followed by oven cooking. Important considerations include patting the surface dry to improve browning, avoiding excessive crowding of the pan, and not relying on searing to cook the entire piece to the desired doneness.

Outside the kitchen, Sear is also used as a surname in English-speaking regions. It may appear in historical records, genealogies, or as part of place names in some locales. As with many short words, its uses vary across contexts and disciplines.

The term is sometimes encountered in brands or products named Sear, but there is no single universal meaning beyond the described uses. In sum, searing denotes a high-heat browning process that enhances flavor and appearance, most commonly in culinary contexts.