Why do we dust meat in flour before searing it? | Kitchen Aide

Dusting meat with flour is an ancient tradition, but, it turns out, it’s not actually necessaryWhy do some stew recipes call for the meat to be coated in flour before searing? Doesn’t the flour get in the way of the Maillard reaction?
Richard, Toronto, CanadaThe idea of dusting meat in seasoned flour before browning it is a throwback to old-school French peasant cookery, and you’ll still come across recipes recommending this approach, but, as Richard suspects, it’s really