Does searing meat really seal in moisture?
Does searing meat really seal in moisture?
According to food science expert and author Harold McGee: no, searing meat doesn't seal in moisture.
Food Network's Alton Brown, who agrees with McGee, even conducted an experiment to see if searing helps keep meat moist. Brown measured the moisture content of both seared and un-seared meat that had been cooked to the same internal temperature. The result: seared meat actually had less moisture.
We still think that searing is the way to go. Properly searing meat gives it a brown crust, which lends two things to the finished dish: flavor and
contrast. The rich flavor and mouthfeel of a beautifully browned crust makes the interior seem juicier (even if it isn't).
So while searing may remove more moisture on balance, we think the difference is negligible, especially given the added flavor and contrast of a browned exterior.
Pasta alla carbonara (usually spaghetti, but occasionally linguine or bucatini) is a family of Italian pasta dishes based on eggs, parmesan, pancetta or guanciale and black pepper.
Carbonaro means charcoal-burner in Italian, but the connection is unclear. Some food historians believe the dish may have been popular among charcoal makers working in the Apennine Mountains; or perhaps it is called carbonara simply because of the specks of black pepper it is seasoned with.
What's the difference between broccoli and broccoli raab?
What's the difference between broccoli and broccoli raab?
Along with cabbages, Brussels sprouts and cauliflower, broccoli raab and broccoli are in the brassica family. They look like modified versions of one another -- broccoli with its thick, branching stems, large florets and few leaves, and broccoli raab with its long, thin, uniform stems, small florets and pronounced leaves.
Both have a similar green vegetal flavor, but broccoli raab is bitter -- surprisingly so to the uninitiated -- while broccoli raab tends more toward the sweet. Despite that main difference, each works pretty well in place of the other whether in classic Italian pastas, soups, stews, simply steamed or sautéed alone with a splash of lemon or vinegar and olive oil.
Both pair especially well with pork and sausages, raisins, pine nuts, bell peppers and just about any kind of cheese -- especially ricotta, parmesan and mozzarella.
