Seared to perfection: What you need to know when pan searing food

This cooking method is easy to do ... but you need to know the many variables involved.

Stop me if you’ve heard this one: Culinary school. Day 1. Pound cake. I ask the instructor how long to leave it in the oven. “Until it’s done,” she says. “I know,” I say, “but how long do I leave it in the oven?” And she says, again, annoyed, “Until it’s done.”