What’s the best way to sear meat without so much splattering?

Q. I’ve asked my husband to use a mesh splatter guard, or to sauté meat at a lower temperature, but he is set in his ways. (And I love him dearly, so will not ding him for this.) Do you have any advice for how to sear, blacken or char meat without creating so much splatter?

A. I find this so relatable. Who hasn’t been irked, at least good-naturedly, by what someone else in their house does in the kitchen? Loading the dishwasher wrong, paying too much (or not enough) attention to expiration dates, letting pots soak in the sink, you name it.

I’m not going to get into who should be responsible for cleanup or the dynamics of what otherwise sounds like a rewarding partnership, so let’s focus on the more practical steps you can take to reduce the mess of cooking meat.

Use a splatter screen. This inexpensive tool, also known as a splatter guard, would definitely be my first suggestion, although I get that it can be a pain to take on and off, and can get in the way of just trying to work with the food. Look for models where the metal mesh is fairly tight to minimize the chance that anything sneaks through the screen. The larger the gaps, the more likely that is to happen.

Pat your meat dry. It’s important that whatever you’re searing is as dry as possible. Moisture clinging to the meat can cause it to spit and splatter. So take a few seconds to blot the meat on all sides with a paper towel or clean dish towel.

Choose a higher-sided pan. If you want to better contain the splatter, consider going bigger with the skillet or pot. Depending on what you’re making, this could just be a skillet with higher sides or a deeper sauté pan. You can even sear meat in a Dutch oven.

Try a Frywall. While it was new to me, several people recommended this large, funnel-shaped silicone guard that rests inside the rim of your skillet. It is, of course, a similar concept to using a pan with higher sides. One caveat from a reader: “It works, but cleaning it is a bear. Not much easier than cleaning the stovetop. But it does control the spatters.”

Start the meat in a cold, dry skillet. Multiple readers suggested trying a “cold sear,” one of whom cited Jacques Pépin as their inspiration for the technique. America’s Test Kitchen, which has employed this strategy for pork chops, chicken breasts and steak, notes that nonstick or carbon steel pans are the way to go to minimize the need for added fat, therefore reducing the likelihood of splattering. The gist is that rather than preheating the skillet before you put the meat in, you crank the heat up to medium-high at the same time you add the protein. After a few minutes, reduce the heat to medium to finish cooking, flipping the meat every two minutes until done.