Break Out This Kitchen Tool For The Crispiest Sear Your Steaks Have Ever Seen
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The sear makes the steak, whether you're whipping up a succulent ribeye, New York strip, filet mignon, or porterhouse. Without it, you don't have that delectably crisp exterior and charred flavor, and a moist, soft interior.
There are many techniques that you can use to get the perfect sear on your steak, from using a hot cast-iron skillet to taking advantage of the reverse sear method. But if you really want to get a great sear, you're going to have to call in the reinforcements, like a bacon press.
A bacon press is exactly what its name suggests: It's a tool that can be used to push bacon (or meat, broadly speaking) down onto a cooking surface to get a better char and more even cook. While some people (like Geoffrey Zakarian) may argue that they're not that useful, many cooks think that they can really come in handy when cooking steak. When you're ready to sear, simply apply pressure to the press to push the meat down on the surface, and lift once it's perfectly crispy.
The helpful tool you didn't know you needed
Bacon presses come in numerous materials, including cast iron (which boasts excellent durability and, when well-seasoned, non-stick properties), lightweight and rust-resistant stainless steel, aluminum, and non-stick. Weight is going to be your friend when pressing steak, so we recommend a cast-iron bacon press, like this model from Norpro.
While a bacon press can be cumbersome, searing steak and making bacon are far from the only things you can do with it, making it a useful addition to any meat lover's kitchen. For one, you can whip up some tasty smash burgers with the help of this tool. Once you notice that the edges of the patty have crisped up, you'll know it's time to remove the press. You can also use it to make homemade breakfast sausage patties. When you add pressure with the press, you'll get perfectly crispy edges and a patty that conveniently fits inside of your bagel, English muffin, or other bready base.