Grease it UP!
Here you go.
I thought i’d do a follow up to my OILs and FATs entry since everyone is always confused about what oils to use for cooking –
and as i was also in the supermarket today wondering which oil i should buy for sauteeing off my steaks tonight so i don’t burn the house down again, i thought: “there should be a chart for this specific purpose”
and lo and behold, there is, a mighty good one too i must add:
SMOKING POINTS FOR OILS (link)
and here’s the WIKIPEDIA VERSION (link)
still confused? here’s a good article by the OLIVE OIL SOURCE(link)
so pick a higher temp oil/fat for high heat / high temp COOKING METHODS (link) like – shallow pan frying, deep frying, and sauteeing / stir frying. this theory works for any kind of stove top: gas, induction, electric…
also the thickness of your pan matters too.
the thinner the pan the faster it will heat up.
i only recommend non stick pans for eggs, since non stick is good for low temps only. even though there are a lot of new types of non toxic non stick coatings out there, the coatings can peel and end up in your food if not used properly or if you scrub it when you clean it. and it’s still toxic. so if you must use a non stick pan — the best way to cool and wash it after you’re done cooking is to turn it upside down in the sink and turn the tap on, to let the running water cool the bottom of pan and bring down the temp of the entire pan significantly before you wash the cooking surface with soapy water. “aghhh unagi!”
so for a good standard stainless steel pan, i recommend these, from Macy’s “TOOLS OF THE TRADE” COLLECTION (link)
of course there is always ALL-CLAD (link), which i’m a big fan of, but as you can see the price range is, how you say, will and should last you a lifetime!! but if you have the means, it’s a great investment. :)
there are a ton of brands out there: calphalon, all clad, etc. and there are a lot of different mterials out there too like aluminum, copper, cast – iron…
so the only reason your food sticks to your pan is when your pan and oil isn’t hot enough when you add your food to the pan when you’re cooking.
so a good even thickness pan when heated properly with a oil that has a high smoke point, is a-ok! for multipurpose cooking!! it’s also easy to deglaze and clean :)
so check out the handy oil charts and make sure you use the correct oil/fat to cook with to prevent burning up your house! :)
also, keep in mind that the different oils and fats also add different flavour components to your food,
if you don’t believe me,
try frying an egg in canola oil, butter, and then with olive oil. and taste the difference for yourself! :)
xoxox happy cooking xoxox
