Which cooking technique typically uses a searing process?

Pan-frying is identified as the cooking technique that typically employs a searing process. This method involves cooking food in a small amount of fat, allowing it to achieve a brown, crisp exterior while maintaining moistness inside. Searing is essential in pan-frying as it enhances flavor through the Maillard reaction, which occurs when proteins and sugars in the food caramelize at high temperatures, creating rich and complex flavors.

In the context of other cooking techniques like baking, boiling, and steaming, those methods do not involve the same direct contact with high heat that is crucial for searing. Baking involves a slow heat that surrounds food evenly in an oven, boiling uses water at a high temperature, and steaming employs vapor to cook food, none of which produce the browned crust characteristic of searing in pan-frying.