Rule 19 of 27 · Chapter IV — The Knife and the Cut
Dry your food before it meets the heat
Why this rule exists
Water is the enemy of browning, and wet food is why so many home-cooked things steam when they should sear. A damp surface has to boil off all its moisture before it can get hot enough to brown, and in the time that takes, the inside overcooks and the outside stays pale and grey. Meat pulled straight from a marinade or a package, vegetables still dripping from the wash, tofu heavy with its packing water, all hit the pan and immediately flood it with steam. Patting food dry is a five-second step that unlocks the crust, the color, and the flavor that browning provides. It is one of those small, unglamorous habits that quietly separates food that looks like a photo from food that looks boiled.
In practice
Pat meat and fish dry with paper towels or a clean cloth right before they go into the pan, especially anything that has been brined, marinated, or thawed. Spin or thoroughly dry washed greens and vegetables before roasting or sautéing. Press excess water out of tofu, and drain and dry canned beans before frying. For the driest possible surface on a roast or skin, leave it uncovered in the fridge for a few hours or overnight. Then get the food into a hot, ready pan quickly, before it starts to sweat again on the counter.
When it doesn't apply
When you actually want to steam, braise, or poach, moisture is the method and drying is pointless. Battered and breaded foods need a slightly tacky surface for the coating to cling, so full drying comes before the coating, not after. And some quick, saucy stir-fries embrace a little water that cooks off fast in fierce heat.