Found the secret to a perfect pan-fried steak: Safflower oil

[Fritzo]

I've had it/miss results with cooking steaks indoors over the years. They always seem to come out blah. Yesterday, I cracked the code.

Safflower oil is a neutral cooking oil (that's actually good for you- low saturated fat, high omega-3's) with an extremely high smoke point. Put some of this oil in a flat frying pan, and put the burner of full blast and wait a few minutes. When the oil starts to smoke a bit, it's ready.

Make sure your steaks are room temperature, and cover then GENEROUSLY with sea salt, ground pepper, and a touch of worcestershire sauce. Put the steaks on the oil, and cook about 3 minutes on each side for rare, 4-5 minutes for medium. Turn it only ONCE. If you're using a sirloin or strip steak, hold the side strip of fat in the oil for a minute or so as well.

After you turn it, add a hunk of butter to the oil. It will brown pretty quickly. Dip the steak in the butter for color.

Remove the steak and let it sit for 5 minutes before eating. The result is a nice seasoned crust on the outside, and perfectly done beef on the inside. Going to make ALL of my steaks like this from now on

 

[Anubis]

i am upset the pic is blocked at work

 

[Nintendesert]

Wait! Do I take the steak out and add the butter, then put it back in? Since I can only turn it once right?

 

[lozina]

Wait! Do I take the steak out and add the butter, then put it back in? Since I can only turn it once right?

If you need to add butter to make your steak taste good then you are not buying the right steak.

 

[Hugo Drax]

Make sure you use tongs and not a fork when turning the steak as well.

 

[lozina]

What pan do you use?

 

[silverpig]

I learned that you don't use vegetable oils.

I have a bowl of rendered pork fat in my fridge that I use and it is WAY better for cooking than any vegetable oil I've used (safflower, canola, olive, peanut, grapeseed, walnut, almond).

The butter trick is good, but you have to turn the pan down for it. Get the steak done at high temp, pull it from the pan, let the pan cool in the air for 30 seconds, put the butter in, add some thyme, then throw the steak back in, tilt the pan so the butter sits along one edge, and spoon it over the steak.

 

[Nintendesert]

So Safflower oil is actually bad for us?

http://www.truthaboutabs.com/unhealthy-vs-healthy-cooking-oils.html


I think I might just stick to the grill instead.

 

[Fritzo]

If you need to add butter to make your steak taste good then you are not buying the right steak.

The butter gives it that deep brown color and enhances the beef flavor. A lot of the high-end steak houses do that as well.

Anyway, you put the butter in the oil, then dip each side of the steak in the browned butter quickly and take it out. It's the last thing you do.

You don't want to cook each side more than once as it will recook the already cooked outer layer of the meat, making it tough.

 

[Fritzo]

So Safflower oil is actually bad for us?

http://www.truthaboutabs.com/unhealthy-vs-healthy-cooking-oils.html


I think I might just stick to the grill instead.

No, it's about as good for you as olive oil. I'd listen more to an established health site rather than an infomercial site:

http://www.livestrong.com/article/546738-the-pros-cons-of-safflower-oil/

 

[Oyeve]

What pan do you use?

A heavy cast-iron works best.

 

[trmiv]

I may give this a shot. I've tried pan frying before but always hated the results and the fact that the house ended up clouded in smoke and smell for days, so I went back to the grill. Sucks when it's raining and I want a steak though.

 

[slayer202]

There's no way that steak was in a pan on high for 3+ minutes. Looks like there's barely a crust on there. Usually 30-60 seconds is enough before throwing it in the oven. And I'm surprised a steak that thick could be cooked that quickly in a pan. Idk...

 

[Fritzo]

There's no way that steak was in a pan on high for 3+ minutes. Looks like there's barely a crust on there. Usually 30-60 seconds is enough before throwing it in the oven. And I'm surprised a steak that thick could be cooked that quickly in a pan. Idk...

I'm telling ya...it's the oil. That stuff is amazing for high heat cooking. I cooked that one to about medium so it was closer to 4-5 minutes.

 

[SagaLore]

A heavy cast-iron works best.

just don't smash frozen beef patties with it

 

[SithSolo1]

umm I use regular olive oil(not evoo) and it works as well. You can spoon the melted butter/oil over the steak to get the extra flavor. The browning should come from the sear alone. Also the worcestershire would have ruined the steak for me(personal taste). Just sea salt and fresh ground black pepper on mine.

I use a cast iron pan for beef only and non-stick for everything else. And like Fritzo mentioned: getting the meat to room temp before cooking, not playing with it in the pan, and letting it rest are key points.

 

[slayer202]

I'm telling ya...it's the oil. That stuff is amazing for high heat cooking. I cooked that one to about medium so it was closer to 4-5 minutes.

jeez that's crazy. you don't like more of a crust?

 

[dawheat]

Tried this butter method for the first time last week indoors with a 1 3/4 inch boneless ribeye and a cast iron pan:

http://forums.egullet.org/index.php?/topic/119838-the-best-way-to-cook-a-thick-steak/

1. Got a ridiculous crust without any char - I'm a believer. One of the very best crusts I've ever had on a steak.

2. Temp control is tricky - I was using 4/10 on a gas range while searing the sides and smoked it up ridiculously. Turning it down to just under 3 gave the right temp for the method.

3. Doneness is also tricky - was aiming for med-rare but got it solidly medium. A thermometer is key.

4. I ended up turning the steak every 2 minutes as the method isn't dependent on high heat for the crust and it helped get more even cooking.

 

[Zeze]

Not so much oil, but how you can manage to effectively maximize the temperature difference.

1. Bring steak to room temp
2. Sear the hell out of your 10 lb cast iron pan
3. Enjoy your amazing steak. I've done this with canola, or just plain veg oil. Still great.

I bet Safflower oil has 1% of contribution to a great steak.

 

[destrekor]

Safflower oil has almost ZERO Omega 3.
It packs a hearty dose of Omega 6 (Linoleic Acid), and a massive amount of Oleic Acid (Omega 9), and such a pittance of Alpha Linolenic Acid (Omega 3, "ALA") that it can be said to be free of Omega 3s.

In short, it has the worst 3/6/9 you can find, considering most Americans ALREADY have a completely shit-tastic ratio of PUFA intake.

It is a good oil - but it's not special, especially considering the typical Western diet basically gets too much Omega 6 to begin with.

As for pan-seared steak - doing it well, regardless of oil of choice, can produce very tasty dead animal. And I'm in favor of just about any method that makes dead animal even more of a divine experience!

 

[Oyeve]

I use butter and soy-sauce on my steaks prior to throwing them in the pan. Then I add tons of freshly ground pepper.

 

[Fritzo]

Not so much oil, but how you can manage to effectively maximize the temperature difference.

1. Bring steak to room temp
2. Sear the hell out of your 10 lb cast iron pan
3. Enjoy your amazing steak. I've done this with canola, or just plain veg oil. Still great.

I bet Safflower oil has 1% of contribution to a great steak.

Canola and vegetable oil starts to burn when it gets too hot. You can get safflower oil up to 600F and it won't burn. The professional steak searers they use in stead houses get around 800F...the hotter the better. The oil doesn't add flavor, my point was it allows you to get higher temps without the smoke/burning.

 

[Zeze]

Canola and vegetable oil starts to burn when it gets too hot. You can get safflower oil up to 600F and it won't burn. The professional steak searers they use in stead houses get around 800F...the hotter the better. The oil doesn't add flavor, my point was it allows you to get higher temps without the smoke/burning.

Both canola and safflower has similar high smoke point. Again, what you do to steak has more contribution to a great steak than choice of oil.

Let me cook up two great steaks, 1 using canola, 1 using safflower. I dare you to tell the difference.

Your thread title is not true. It's not oil.

 

[Wonderful Pork]

safflower oil oxidizes w/ heat and thus becomes horrible for you.

Which Fats & Oils to eat

 

[preslove]

I learned that you don't use vegetable oils.

I have a bowl of rendered pork fat in my fridge that I use and it is WAY better for cooking than any vegetable oil I've used .

Interesting. Would rendered chicken fat work, too? I've been wondering what to do with the fat that develops on top of my home made chicken stock