What should the temperature of a steak be
prior to searing it in a pan?

A few minutes ago, I was watching Lidia
Bastianich's new show, and her son demonstrated
making a Tuscan-style steak. He said to
leave it out overnight, so it would be at
room temperature before grilling, but he
didn't say why.

He grilled the steak, not seared in a pan
the way I do.

I always move it from the freezer to the
refrigerator the previous evening, and
pan-sear it in the morning. I'd be a bit
leery of leaving a steak out at room
temperature overnight (despite recent
research that suggests it's safe).