There is nothing new about the Maillard reaction but after it is what counts. I generally color my meats (common for most cooks) before cooking them, which makes perfect sense. The more obvious point is when you expose the meat to the higher temperatures you can produce Acrylamide so careful attention to the process of high heat.

What I do is start with medium heat and I heat the surface of the meat to color it rather than blasting the heat and the meat and having it stick to the pan. Yes oil helps to prevent the sticking but the meat often finds a corner to stick.

I finish it with a natural mirin and some cooking sake with a dash of shoyu. This gives it the coloration and depth of color that glistens – a certain look to the meat that people like.