One thing that you are going to stumble upon before you begin your steak cooking adventure is the plethora of ways of cooking it. There are plenty of them. However, among all of them, grilling and pan searing are two of the most popular ones. And you will find many cooks putting these two cooking methods against each other.
Now, you might wonder, in the case of both of the cooking methods, which one is the absolute best. Well, we are here to provide you the required information in that regard with our take on the ‘pan searing vs grilling steak: what should you know!’.
We are going to compare them in each of the vital cooking factors and declare a winner in the end.
Accessibility
To begin with, most of the cooks will not have access to a grill in their house. They take a bit amount of space in the backyard, and alongside that, they also need regular maintenance for an extending their overall lifespan. For this reason, many tend not to opt for a grill even if the idea of grilling foods excites them.
On the other hand, finding a space in your kitchen rack for accommodating pans will not be any trouble at all. You probably have one right now. So, keeping this into consideration, we would say that the pan searing method for cooking steaks is more manageable than grilling.
Oil Requirement
It goes without saying that pans will be able to hold all the oil on the surface better than the grills. The oil that you are going to add on the top of a grill will eventually find its way to the coals through the grates.
Keeping this into mind, you would think that cooking on the pan will require less amount of oil. Well, that is not the case here.
The charcoal heat that is going to cook the meat on top of the grill will lock the moisture. As a result, the meat will require a considerably less amount of oil and butter. The meat on the top will look more juicy and delicious without you having to add condiments on it that much.
Alongside that, the excess fat of the meat will drip off from the grates as you cook it. That means you will not have to worry about your cholesterol and fat intake level that much if you have a grilled steak for dinner.
Flavor
As the pan is going to be able to retain all the oil and other flavor condiments that you are going to add to the meat, it will be able to offer you a flavor-packed steak.
All the spices and herbs that you are going to put on top will get induced inside. So, you can be creative and add your unique touch to the steaks that you are going to cook on top of it.
However, you are going to miss out on the ever so famous smoky flavor. For that, you are going to need a grill. Alongside that, different fuel sources for the grill will bring along different types of exciting flavor to the steak.
That options in the case of fuel also mean you will be able to cook your steak even if your stove stops working.
So, in the case of flavor, we can not really pick a winner. It will fall into your personal preference. If you like to induce your meat with different flavors and spices, you should opt for pan searing. On the other hand, if you are a fan of the charcoal and smoky flavor, you should shoot for grilling.
Nutrition Level
Grills are well known for preserving the overall nutrients of the food. In the case of steaks, it will be able to retain the natural thiamine and riboflavin of the meat. It will not make any compromises in that regard.
Alongside that, grilling vegetables on top of the grates along the steak will make the meal highly nutritious. That means you will be able to get all the nutrition of the veggies along with all the protein.
However, you can also cook vegetables on top of the pan. But in that case, they will be drenched with the excess oil that the pan retains, which is not that much of a healthy option.
Heat Control
Most of the high-end grills will come with a lid and temperature control mechanisms. With that, you will be able to monitor the overall cooking temperature closely and make sure the heat is distributed evenly. Because of that, you are bound to have a perfectly cooked steak every time.
On the other hand, you are getting fewer functionalities with the pan. You will be able to cover it up with a lid, but controlling the overall temperature will be a bit of a hassle. In this case, you are going to have to stick a thermometer inside the meat and check on it. So, we would say that for heat control, grills are far better than pans.
Outdoor Activities
Grilling is an exciting outdoor activity. You will be able to host bbq parties and have a fun-filled family time if you have a grill installed in your backyard. It is considered that grilling is the only activity that makes most of the people get out of their rooms and enjoy fresh air in the backyard.
On the other hand, if you plan to pan sear your steak, you are going to be enclosed in the walls of your kitchen. You will also not be able to host a bbq party with your friends and your family. Keeping that in mind, we would say that grills are bound to give you an exciting time that you cannot have with searing steak on the pan.
Final Words
Considering all the factors that we mentioned above, it is quite reasonable to say that grilling a steak is better than pan searing. However, pan searing has its own advantages too, but they simply can not overshadow what a grill has to offer.
With that, we would like to end our take on ‘pan searing vs grilling steak: what should you know!’ here by wishing you good luck and hoping that your steak turns out juicy and full of mouthwatering flavors.