maillard - browning reaction between proteins and sugars; why seared food tastes like something

maillard --surface dry --heat high --space plenty FOOD

The Maillard reaction is what happens when proteins and sugars meet high, dry heat: seared steak, toast, the crust on bread, the brown bits in a pan. It produces hundreds of flavor compounds that never appear in boiled food.

It runs slowly at low temperatures and gets going in earnest above about 140°C / 285°F. Water cannot get hotter than 100°C / 212°F at sea level, so a wet surface stays too cool to brown until the water is gone.

This is why every recipe tells you to pat meat dry, heat the pan first, and not crowd it.

--surface dry

Pat meat and vegetables dry. Surface water has to evaporate before browning can start, and evaporating keeps the surface cool.

--heat high

Preheat the pan until a drop of water skitters and vanishes. Add oil, wait for it to shimmer, then add the food.

--space plenty

Crowding traps steam, and steam is water. Cook in batches. Two batches of brown beat one batch of grey.

--leave-it

Do not move the food for the first few minutes. It releases from the pan on its own once a crust forms.

deglaze(1), pat-dry(1), wait(1), probe(1)

Often confused with caramelization, which is sugar browning on its own with no protein involved. Onions do both. Nobody at the table will check.

Burnt is not extra Maillard. Past a point, browning turns to bitterness. See the incident reports for worked examples.