Do you know how to perfectly sear a steak?

In our continued efforts to keep your culinary exploration as simplistic and as easy to understand as possible let's address the all important sear. Searing a steak provides that beautiful look, but it goes way beyond the aesthetics. Not too mention many proteins, whether pan-fried or grilled, require the all important sear. Simple explanation of searing is this. Searing brings added depth and complexity of flavors out of the steak or scallops otherwise, would be missed. As far as if searing locks in the moisture, well I'll stay out of that contentious point.

We have all heard to get the perfect sear, get your pan or grill as hot as you can. If cooking in a pan then add some oil and in some cases butter and wait until it just begins to smoke. Or cooking on your grill then some will have you heat the grates until they look like a lava flow. Let the sizzling begin...right? Well yes, but there is a more fool proof method.

Using a high-quality extra virgin olive oil like from Texas Angel Oil will give you an advantage. Not all extra virgin olive oils are the same in not only the taste and texture but in cooking performance. Texas Angel Oil was born in the BBQ capital of the world in the great state of Texas. BBQ is a broad term that in some circles of Texas are given the same reverence as any religion. Our special blend of different olive varietals used in Texas Angel Oil is not just for the velvety taste, but also our extra virgin olive oil has a superior ability to perform under heat.

Long story short and your simple tip is this; coat your steak in Texas Angel Oil extra virgin olive oil before either grilling or pan frying. Not only will the alkaline properties of the olive oil work with the acids of your protein to bring out more flavor, but high quality extra virgin olive oil heats up very quickly. This action allows the surface of your steak to heat up much quicker giving you the best chance for the perfect sear.

As a bonus for my bloviating on this topic here is a recipe shared by Texas Angel Oil own Texas BBQ competition team: Guadalupe Co. BBQ Competition Team with Ty Machado as featured on the Food Network.

Guadalupe Co. BBQ Competition Team Simple Grilled Ribeye Recipe

Ingredients:

Texas Angel Oil extra virgin olive oil

Texas Black Gold -Garlic Sea Salt

Uncle Bob's Country Seasonings- Garlic Onion Pepper Blend.

Pick your favorite ribeye steaks the more marbling the better , 1 1/2" cut steaks or thicker are ideal.

Preparation:

Cover the steaks lightly with Texas Angel Oil extra virgin olive oil on both sides this is a binder for your seasonings and neutralizes the acidity of the meat to allow your seasonings to permeate the meat.

( a thick piece of beef can stand up to the sea salt )

Season generously on both sides with Texas Black Gold Garlic Sea Salt and Uncle Bob's Country Seasonings Garlic Pepper Blend.

Ideally let rest 10 mins or longer to help infuse flavor (Can even refrigerate overnight).

Cooking:

Heat grill to 500-550 degrees and lay steaks on the grill, 30 seconds per side for the sear. Reduce heat to 400 degrees

About 2.5 -3 mins per side should get us to 135 med rare.

Optional: Hit it lightly with another dose of Texas Angel Oil extra virgin olive oil on one side for enhanced flavor.

Simple explanation of Olive Oil types

That delicious recipe your favorite chef shared that you're ready to prepare to impress your friends and family calls for, “Olive Oil”.  Simple right?  That is until you get to your local market and get kicked in the face with the endless choices of olive oil. Can't all the olive oil people just agree on 1 type of olive oil? Does somebody think that it's funny to make this many choices? Forget it, I'll just drink wine and tell my friends to bring dinner!  Don't let this be you and by all means enjoy some wine, but let me see if I can simplify this issue for you.

Olive oil both simplified and explained:

Extra Virgin Olive Oil: Extra-virgin olive oil is an unrefined oil and the highest-quality olive oil you can buy. A great way to think of this oil is if you were to pick an olive off the tree yourself and squeeze the olive in your hand. The pure oil that would come out of the olive is the extra virgin olive oil. In this pure form extra virgin olive oil retains truer olive taste, and has a lower level of oleic acid than other olive oil types. It also contains more of the natural vitamins and minerals found in olives. 

Side note: (I only cook with extra virgin olive oil)

Virgin Olive Oil: (This definition is debated among olive orchards, so I will provide the International Olive Council definition) Next in quality is virgin olive oil. It's made using a similar process as extra-virgin olive oil and is also an unrefined oil, meaning chemicals or heat are not used to extract oil from the fruit. Virgin olive oil also maintains the purity and taste of the olive, though production standards are not as rigid. Virgin olive oil can have a slightly higher level of oleic acid. It also has a slightly less intense flavor than extra-virgin olive oil.

Side note: (Make extra virgin olive oil at your orchard or go sell books door to door)

All other oils from here on out are refined by some process of the manufacturer.

Pure/Regular Olive Oil or just Olive Oil: This oil is typically a blend of extra virgin or virgin olive oil and refined olive oil (heat and/or chemicals are used in the process of extracting oil and removing flaws from the fruit). This olive oil is a lower-quality oil than extra-virgin olive oil, with a lighter color, and a more neutral flavor.

Side note: (I find the extra virgin olive oil used in this blend is often from old batches of extra virgin olive oil that has lost most of its flavor)

Light or Lite Olive Oil: "Light" or “Lite” doesn't refer to this olive oil being lower in calories. Rather, it is a marketing term used to describe the oil's lighter flavor. Often times this oil is the most heavily refined and/or blended with other oil types like sunflower or canola oil.

Side note: (Instead of buying this oil just punch yourself in the face)

Extra virgin olive oil can come in many colors and I would urge you to not get too hung up on the color alone.  My Texas Angel Oil extra virgin olive oil is a nice vibrant green when it's fresh pressed and over a period of months, it turns to a lighter green with golden hues coming through.  I've experienced and produced some fresh extra virgin olive oils that are golden in color, but I lean towards the fresh greenish color that dominates real extra virgin olive oil.  Check with your local or regional family owned olive orchard for the best option for you in selecting your olive oil.

Hope that helps to keep you in the saddle as we say here in Texas!