The dry surface is the whole sear. Straight out of the bag it is wet, and wet means steam, and steam means grey.
What works: out of the bag, pat dry properly, then leave it uncovered on a rack for ten minutes if you can. Then a pan that is genuinely smoking, a very short time per side, and do not move it.
The ice bath step in the post is the upgrade. Chilling the outside means you can sear for longer without the inside climbing, and that is where the proper crust comes from.