Cookin again

[Zardnaar]

My plate O food I cooked tonight.



A bit going on. Basically a spicy chicken salad on pita, that falafel with shatta sauce and these new sweet corn and Sriracha Maya poppers.

Pretty damn good don't think the wife liked the shatta sauce or the poppers and it may have been to much food.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

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.

Well, canola oil- any cooking oil, actually- is a fat. But most of the vegetabl based ones are healthier for you than animal ones.

The trick is using the right ones for the task.

For instance, I fry my steaks with avocado oil these days. The high smoke point means it won’t set off your smoke alarms when you’re searing meat at high heat. It’s also a relatively healthy fat. (Then, as noted, I top the steak with a bit of butter…mmmmmmmmmmmmm.)

OTOH, there’s this oven baked diced potato recipe* I’ve loved for years. The potatoes come out of the oven with a nice crunchy exterior and a soft interior. The original recipe calls for duck fat, but I’ve used beef and bacon as reasonable substitutes. I tried olive oil and other veggie-based oils, and got results that simply didn’t compare in texture or flavor. I mean, they’re decent, but if you’ve had them made with one of the animal fats, they’re just not as good. I don’t know why.






* duck fat roasted potatoes from America’s Test Kitchen

 

[prabe]

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.

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.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

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.

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.

 

[prabe]

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.

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.

 

[Zardnaar]

We use canola and olive oil at home. Don't generally cook steak at home as it's a treat when we dine out occasionally.

We use an aerosol oil in a can as well. Mostly to avoid sticking.

Air fryer gets used for most frying needs anyway.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

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.

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.

 

[prabe]

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.

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.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

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.

Give it a go!

 

[prabe]

Give it a go!

I like boozy stuff. Bourbon, brandy, vodka; sometimes other stuff. lol