Why a wet steak won't brown: boiling water caps the surface at 100 °C
30seconds
Put a wet steak in a hot pan and it goes grey and steams. Pat it dry and it forms a dark, savoury crust. The pan is equally hot both times.
The difference is a film of water. While liquid water is on the surface, all the pan's extra heat goes into making steam, so the surface stays near 100 °C. The Maillard reaction, first described in 1912, only runs fast at about 140 to 165 °C.
Drive the pan temperature and the surface wetness yourself, and watch the temperature plateau decide when the crust starts.
Deep dive · 4 min
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