Petitbleu, if you are seasoning the meat say, a day in advance, that would be considered dry brining, yes? If that's the case, wouldn't you still need to pat it dry before searing? I ask b/c I haven't tried dry-brining yet but I'm curious about it, and I recall reading at least one recipe that instructed the cook to pat the meat dry after dry-brining and before cooking. Curious to hear your thoughts.
One thing to try is to buy the meat several hours to a day ahead of time. Pat it dry, salt and pepper it, and then set it on a rack above a plate or a pan in the fridge. Let it sit until you're ready to cook it. This dries out the surface of the meat nicely and allows the salt to penetrate a bit. We do this for most cuts of meat, from whole chickens to steaks to pork chops. Works like a charm.
Although, I should clarify--the salt and pepper would be instead of a marinade. You could also marinate the meat, then dry it off and put it on a rack in the fridge for at least a few hours (preferably overnight). It requires a little planning ahead, but it makes a difference.
I cooked lamb chops tonight and wasn't able to get a good sear. I first patted thoroughly dry, generously salted, applied olive oil, then let it come to room temp prior to searing. Just prior to searing it, I noticed lots of moisture on the surface that was probably both oil and water (caused by salt drawing out water). Thanks for your advice.
Perhaps even let it rest for a minute on each side on a bed of paper towels. Most marinades contain sugar in some form, be it table sugar, brown sugar, or honey in order to help the caramelization process over heat.
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