Sugar your Steak

Chef's confirmed that sugaring steaks - and pork and fish, too - is a common restaurant practice to ensure a good sear.
It can reduce the browning time by nearly half - two minutes per side, rather than the usual three to four minutes - which let you sear the steaks without cooking them through.

Useful tips:
Start by bringing the steaks to room temperature.

The cooking surface should be piping hot.

While the pan or grill heats, rub both sides of each steak with oil, and season each side with salt, pepper and sugar. How much sugar? For large strip steaks and rib-eyes, sprinkle on a scant 1/2 teaspoon per side. For filet mignons, about 1/4 teaspoon per side. Wait to season the steaks until you are ready to sear them, because the sugar melts quickly.