I agree with finishing meats in the oven rather than trying to completely cook them on the rangetop. This works SOOOO well for steaks that until you try it you won't believe how easy and good this method is. Use a ridged alum nonstick griddle and you'll get perfect grill marks too. Preheat oven to 375, heat griddle, 2 mins and flip the meat then put immediately into the oven. The hold over heat from the griddle will put the grill marks into the flipped side while it bakes. The meat will be moister and more tender than ANYTHING you've made at home before.
However, if you have to pan fry (like for fried chicken) then put a lid on the pan. The lid will trap heat and moisture and help cook the meat faster before it burns on the outside. Lower the temp a bit to reduce the potential for scorching but not too low or the meat will be greasy. There's a balance between just enough heat and the requirement for the oil to be hot enough so that the evaporating moisture from the meat "pushes" the oil away from the meat surface (which is what causes the bubbles when deep frying).  |