Well, canola oil- any cooking oil, actually- is a fat. But most of the vegetabl based ones are healthier for you than animal ones.Those really good fish places use fat. Terrible for you. Hence why I eat fish 1-3 times per year. Most places use canola oil.
The only time I cook anything in butter is if I'm making a sauce where the browned butter bits in the pan are part of what I want in the sauce. Otherwise I'll cook in oil.While I’ve often cooked steaks in butter, I’ve found that cooking with oil, then dressing the steaks with butter as they rest on the plate before serving kicks things up a notch. I don’t know if it’s purely psychological, but it seems more…decadent eating a steak with a pat or ball of slowly melting butter on top. And it seems like you get a bigger flavor punch.
Generally speaking, I try to use as little oil as possible when pan frying steaks, etc.- minimizes waste, looks better on the plate, and so forth.The only time I cook anything in butter is if I'm making a sauce where the browned butter bits in the pan are part of what I want in the sauce. Otherwise I'll cook in oil.
I have not yet gotten to the point of dressing meat with butter, mainly because if I'm cooking the meat in a pan I'm going to make a sauce in that pan--and if I'm not cooking the sauce in a pan I'm in the outdoors somewhere gawds help me, and I'm happy just to be eating.
I have found that 1 tsp of oil is adequate for most of my meat-with-pan-sauce needs, while not being excessive or wasteful. I will admit that cooking meat in a pan and not making a pan sauce ... isn't how I normally roll. That's me, though.Generally speaking, I try to use as little oil as possible when pan frying steaks, etc.- minimizes waste, looks better on the plate, and so forth.
UNLESS I’m specifically making a pan sauce, of course.
It’s all about your intended audience.I have found that 1 tsp of oil is adequate for most of my meat-with-pan-sauce needs, while not being excessive or wasteful. I will admit that cooking meat in a pan and not making a pan sauce ... isn't how I normally roll. That's me, though.
I have the advantage of very much mostly cooking for me and my wife.It’s all about your intended audience.
In my case, I’m usually cooking for my parents and myself. Mom‘s not a particular fan of sauces- especially those based on red wine- soooo…
But even then, I’ll sometimes still make a quick Ne for mr & dad, depending on what else I’m cooking.
Give it a go!I have the advantage of very much mostly cooking for me and my wife.
Oddly, I don't think I've based any pan sauces on red wine.![]()
I like boozy stuff. Bourbon, brandy, vodka; sometimes other stuff. lolGive it a go!
Bourbon & peppercorns is a classic.I like boozy stuff. Bourbon, brandy, vodka; sometimes other stuff. lol
No problems, but no recipes, either. Breakfast sausage isn’t big in Louisiana.@Dannyalcatraz Do you have any problems, professional or otherwise, with advice on a recipe for breakfast sausage? I know you have family connections to sausage businesses and don't want you violating omerta or anything.
We have a Kitchenaid setup. Yes, it can be a pain setting up and cleaning. Basically, we only use it when we have to grind our own meat.Heh. I think you might be overestimating my ... ambitions.
I'm seasoning ground pork for the purposes of sausage gravy. We have a KitchenAid mixer, and we could get a grinder attachment, but ... that's a lot of stuff to set up and clean, relative to what we're doing. (Though I guess we could scale up the seasonings and make several batches.)
I was really hoping for your thoughts on what we're going. Even if breakfast sausage isn't your forte, you may still have thoughts.
What I have at this point is ...
1 pound of ground pork (we can get kinda upscale heirloom ground pork, which seems to have (or at least render) about as much fat as storebought breakfast sausage)
(all spices and herbs dried)
1 tsp brown sugar
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
3/4 tsp sage
1/2 tsp thyme and/or savory
1/2 tsp smoked paprika
1/4 tsp marjoram
1/8 tsp rosemary
1/8 tsp cloves (scanty)
1/8 tsp allspice
1/8 tsp nutmeg
1/8 tsp onion powder
1/8 tsp garlic powder
1/8 tsp shallot powder
1/8 tsp cayenne
1/8 chipotle
1/8 tsp red pepper flakes
EDIT: I did about what you say you do, when trying something. I checked the couple books I have, and I poked around online, but finding something scaled for 1 pound was ... tricky. I did some picking and choosing among them, and based the total on some sausage seasoning I have in a jar that calls for a tablespoon for a pound of ground meat. Since I'm not making links--or even patties--from this stuff, I'm not stressing on getting the seasonings super well-distributed. I'm wondering if you see anything weird or missing.
When I mix spices, I do so in a Pyrex custard bowl (I have two sizes, and I haven't yet needed to mix more spices than would fit in a 10-oz bowl). If it's something like a spice rub, I put on an exam glove and gently grind the spices, to break up stuff--especially herbs--a little. Then I pour the mix into a (labeled) spice jar--Penzeys sells a number of sizes, and they come with labels.Note: best way to mix spices that I’ve found is clean out a decent sized glass jar- like one from your pickles, maraschino cherries or the like, dump your measured out spice portions into it, seal it and shake it.
I prefer it to Tupperware and similar products because it cleans a little bit easier. Of course, if you drop it while shaking…![]()