Crowding the Pan Steams Food Instead of Searing It

Photo by Mondgesicht on Pixabay

Adding too much food to a hot pan at once causes the pan's temperature to drop sharply (all that cold food absorbing heat at once) and releases enough moisture that the food ends up simmering in its own steam rather than making direct, dry contact with a hot surface — steam can't produce the Maillard browning that a proper sear needs. Working in batches, leaving space between pieces, keeps the pan hot enough and dry enough for actual browning.