# Can you sear meat ahead of time and stick it in the fridge? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [August 8, 2008, 12:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-sear-meat-ahead-of-time-and-stick-it-in-the-fridge/459240 "2008-08-08T00:20:59Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Zsofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2008, 12:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-sear-meat-ahead-of-time-and-stick-it-in-the-fridge/459240/1 "2008-08-08T00:20:59Z")
Or will that cause something substandard in taste or in food safety? I’d like to stick a roast in the crock pot tomorrow, but I like to sear all my meats and I don’t like getting up early. I was thinking I could just sear it tonight, throw the potatoes and carrots and onions and it in the insert and chuck that in the fridge, and then tomorrow pour the liquid in and start 'er up. Any reason I shouldn’t do that? ---
**Author:** ![AuntiePam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f19dbf/32.png) [@AuntiePam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AuntiePam)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2008, 1:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-sear-meat-ahead-of-time-and-stick-it-in-the-fridge/459240/2 "2008-08-08T01:52:36Z")
I’d go ahead and sear the meat, but I’d store it apart from the veggies. A piece of meat sitting in water for several hours – I dunno. My mom used to thaw meat (before microwaves) by leaving it in cold water all day. I think it hurt the flavor. I have no scientific cookery knowledge though – maybe it’ll be okay. ---
**Author:** ![Sage\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sage_rat/32/399_2.png) [@Sage\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sage_Rat)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2008, 3:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-sear-meat-ahead-of-time-and-stick-it-in-the-fridge/459240/3 "2008-08-08T15:38:03Z")
I only know of crock pot cooking third hand, but wasn’t one of the things with crock pots that you can cook stuff in them for 24 or even 48 hours and essentially the longer the better? If so, no real need to put it in the refrigerator, just sear and crock before you go to bed. ---
**Author:** ![Hockey\_Monkey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a183cd/32.png) [@Hockey\_Monkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hockey_Monkey)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2008, 3:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-sear-meat-ahead-of-time-and-stick-it-in-the-fridge/459240/4 "2008-08-08T15:53:08Z")
I think you will be fine to do this. Put your meat in the crock after you sear it, toss the veggies in, but leave the liquid out until the morning. Refrigerate overnight of course. ---
**Author:** ![Zsofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2008, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-sear-meat-ahead-of-time-and-stick-it-in-the-fridge/459240/5 "2008-08-08T17:46:05Z")
Well, it didn’t matter, 'cause I forgot. And then I didn’t feel like it when I got up this morning. Hello, Papa John’s! ---
**Author:** ![Rebo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rebo/32/13005_2.png) [@Rebo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rebo)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2008, 6:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-sear-meat-ahead-of-time-and-stick-it-in-the-fridge/459240/6 "2008-08-08T18:08:22Z")
[QUOTE=Sage Rat] I only know of crock pot cooking third hand, but wasn’t one of the things with crock pots that you can cook stuff in them for 24 or even 48 hours and essentially the longer the better? If so, no real need to put it in the refrigerator, just sear and crock before you go to bed. [/QUOTE] That’s fine for most meats, but the veggies would be absolute mush. ---
**Author:** ![An\_Arky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/87869e/32.png) [@An\_Arky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/An_Arky)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2008, 6:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-sear-meat-ahead-of-time-and-stick-it-in-the-fridge/459240/7 "2008-08-08T18:29:12Z")
I wouldn’t want peeled potatoes that had been left in the fridge overnight. The meat would be fine, though, if you want to save that step. I’ve done it; just sear the roast, then once it cools down, wrap in plastic wrap/foil/wax paper and stick in the fridge. ---
**Author:** ![cher3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/da6949/32.png) [@cher3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cher3)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2008, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-sear-meat-ahead-of-time-and-stick-it-in-the-fridge/459240/8 "2008-08-08T18:36:07Z")
[QUOTE=Sage Rat] I only know of crock pot cooking third hand, but wasn’t one of the things with crock pots that you can cook stuff in them for 24 or even 48 hours and essentially the longer the better? If so, no real need to put it in the refrigerator, just sear and crock before you go to bed. [/QUOTE] I’ve never seen a crockpot recipe that called for anything longer than about 10 hours, even on low. ---
**Author:** ![Zsofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2008, 6:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-sear-meat-ahead-of-time-and-stick-it-in-the-fridge/459240/9 "2008-08-08T18:37:15Z")
I don’t peel them for pot roast - just scrub some new potatoes. I do peel the carrots. ---
**Author:** ![DanBlather](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/f4b2a3/32.png) [@DanBlather](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DanBlather)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2008, 8:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-sear-meat-ahead-of-time-and-stick-it-in-the-fridge/459240/10 "2008-08-08T20:42:12Z")
I used a recipe for lamb shanks the other day that had you braise the meat unseared, then pop in under the broiler (just the meat, drained and dried) at the end to out a crust on it. It turned out well. Damned if I know where the recipe is however. ---
**Author:** ![TV\_time](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f17d59/32.png) [@TV\_time](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TV_time)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2008, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-sear-meat-ahead-of-time-and-stick-it-in-the-fridge/459240/11 "2008-08-08T21:17:53Z")
[QUOTE=Zsofia] Or will that cause something substandard in taste or in food safety? I’d like to stick a roast in the crock pot tomorrow, but I like to sear all my meats and I don’t like getting up early. I was thinking I could just sear it tonight, throw the potatoes and carrots and onions and it in the insert and chuck that in the fridge, and then tomorrow pour the liquid in and start 'er up. Any reason I shouldn’t do that? [/QUOTE] That’s exactly what microwave meals do before placing them in your local grocery. Are they substandard in taste? It’s your call. ---
**Author:** ![SCSimmons](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e495f1/32.png) [@SCSimmons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SCSimmons)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2008, 4:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-sear-meat-ahead-of-time-and-stick-it-in-the-fridge/459240/12 "2008-08-09T04:53:40Z")
[QUOTE=TV time] That’s exactly what microwave meals do before placing them in your local grocery. Are they substandard in taste? It’s your call. [/QUOTE] Well, they freeze them, too. Sticking the meat in the refrigerator overnight is an entirely different matter … I haven’t tried it myself, but cookbooks I’ve read have suggested that overnight refrigeration at this point in cooking has only a minimal effect on the finished product. ---
**Author:** ![bouv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bc8723/32.png) [@bouv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bouv)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2008, 2:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-sear-meat-ahead-of-time-and-stick-it-in-the-fridge/459240/13 "2008-08-09T14:15:37Z")
You can always slow cook it beforehand and THEN sear it…in theory. Though if it’s a roast that’s in a collection of gravy and veggies, I can see why you wouldn’t want to haul it out of the pot to sear it, spilling stuff everywhere. ---
**Author:** ![Zsofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2008, 3:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-sear-meat-ahead-of-time-and-stick-it-in-the-fridge/459240/14 "2008-08-09T15:21:25Z")
Well, you sear it for the Maillard reaction, not just for color. Which means you do it before you cook it, unless there’s something I really don’t get about that. It’s in the oven now, the traditional way, in my Le Creuset pot. It smells delicious. I planned it for lunch instead of dinner. ---
**Author:** ![Mister\_Rik](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mister_rik/32/491_2.png) [@Mister\_Rik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mister_Rik)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2008, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-sear-meat-ahead-of-time-and-stick-it-in-the-fridge/459240/15 "2008-08-09T19:27:43Z")
We do it all the time at the convention center where I work. Kinda sorta hafta when you’re serving steaks to a few hundred people all at once. The chefs throw the steaks on the flame broiler and sear them quickly on both sides (gotta have those dark broiler marks!) and then put them on sheet pans. Then they stick them in the walk-in cooler until they’re ready to be cooked. The pans of steaks all go into the oven to cook. The result is some seriously tasty, juicy steaks 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Rucksinator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/898d66/32.png) [@Rucksinator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rucksinator)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2008, 5:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-sear-meat-ahead-of-time-and-stick-it-in-the-fridge/459240/16 "2008-08-10T17:43:10Z")
[QUOTE=Zsofia] Well, you sear it for the Maillard reaction… [/QUOTE] When my BIL was telling me how to make Pot Roast, he said that searing was to lock in the juices/flavor, and implied that it was optional. I looked up [Maillard Reaction](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maillard_Reaction) in Wikipedia, and it seems to be something different. In fact, the article says this: > [@](#): > > The browning reactions which occur when meat is roasted or seared have often been referred to as Maillard reaction browning. However, lean meat contains very little, if any, reducing sugars. Furthermore, red meat undergoes more extensive browning than does white meat. The browning reactions in lean meat are most likely due to the breakdown of the tetrapyrrole rings of the muscle protein, myoglobin. Thus, the browning of meat is technically not a Maillard browning since it does not involve the reaction with a reducing sugar. So what is the purpose of searing the meat? ---
**Author:** ![bouv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bc8723/32.png) [@bouv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bouv)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2008, 7:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-sear-meat-ahead-of-time-and-stick-it-in-the-fridge/459240/17 "2008-08-10T19:09:22Z")
[QUOTE=Rucksinator] So what is the purpose of searing the meat? [/QUOTE] Whether or not it can technically be called a Maillard reaction, searing the meat is still done for flavor. Go boil a piece of chicken or steak, and then cook one on a grill or in a pan and tell me which one tastes better. Hell, you don’t have to do that because you already know the answer. Searing makes meat taste good. But it does not, in any way, shape, or form, “lock in the juices.” Cooking a piece of meat will always make it lose water. The longer you cook it, the more it will lose (unless you use a wet cooking method…which if done improperly can still result in dry meat.)