The Off Topic Topic

[celedhring]

Could the oil be much hotter below the surface?

That can indeed happen with certain oils (oils in general have poor thermal conductivity) but I have never used avocado oil. 400-500 seems a bit extreme of a diference though, since I presume we're talking a rather thin layer of oil (you weren't deep frying the steak, right?  )

Yeah, very thin, just thin enough to barely coat the pan.  Is there anything inside the oil that can be evaporating and appear to be smoke but actually be vapor?

There could be some residue in the pan from previous cookings. Even if you rinse thoroughly some stuff it's hard to remove. Also, there could be some water droplets in the pan, if you washed it before cooking. Those would make vapor when you heat the pan (I've had this happen a few times).

[DGuller]

The oil is definitely not unrefined, so it's probably not what the Reddit says.  I think having contamination on the pan makes sense, maybe it's stuff that seeps out from prior cooking that's burning off.  I'll probably do an experiment without cooking anything, after making sure that the pan is super clean, super rinsed, and dried out.  I'll see if the pan smokes without any oil in it first, and then I'll pour a little oil and see when it starts smoking.  I'll keep a white fire extinguisher nearby just in case.

[Sheilbh]

The pan will smoke without oil.

Why do you need the oil to smoke? I normally only ever go that hot if it's a wok and I'm cooking certain very quick flash fry things.

[Grey Fox]

What's the heat source here?

DG, I think you forgot what you are trying to do here. Cook a good steak.

[DGuller]

The pan will smoke without oil.

Why do you need the oil to smoke? I normally only ever go that hot if it's a wok and I'm cooking certain very quick flash fry things.

That's the point, I don't want the oil to smoke, but I want it to get hot enough to sear the steak.  My thinking was that if I used avocado oil, I could get the oil hot enough to sear the steak, but be safely clear of the point where I have to watch out for smoke.  It didn't work out that way, the oil started smoking 100F before it should've on paper, so that's why I'm trying to figure out what it is that I'm not understanding.

[DGuller]

What's the heat source here?

DG, I think you forgot what you are trying to do here. Cook a good steak.

Flat top electric range.  I'm using somewhere between medium and high heat, closer to medium.

[Grey Fox]

Ok.

Cast Iron pan, heat it up until when a bubble of water sizzle instantly. Put Oil in it. 1/4 Inch deep. Water test again. Put Steak in it.

Steak should be room temperature.

For better results: use butter.

[crazy canuck]

The pan will smoke without oil.

Why do you need the oil to smoke? I normally only ever go that hot if it's a wok and I'm cooking certain very quick flash fry things.

That's the point, I don't want the oil to smoke, but I want it to get hot enough to sear the steak.  My thinking was that if I used avocado oil, I could get the oil hot enough to sear the steak, but be safely clear of the point where I have to watch out for smoke.  It didn't work out that way, the oil started smoking 100F before it should've on paper, so that's why I'm trying to figure out what it is that I'm not understanding.

Why are you using oil. Use butter for a proper cook on a steak.

[DGuller]

How are you going to sear a steak with butter?  Isn't it going to burn at a pretty low temperature?  I know some chefs put butter on a steak, but they put butter in the pan at the very end, they don't cook with it throughout.

[Sheilbh]

That's the point, I don't want the oil to smoke, but I want it to get hot enough to sear the steak.  My thinking was that if I used avocado oil, I could get the oil hot enough to sear the steak, but be safely clear of the point where I have to watch out for smoke.  It didn't work out that way, the oil started smoking 100F before it should've on paper, so that's why I'm trying to figure out what it is that I'm not understanding.

Why are you using oil. Use butter for a proper cook on a steak.

I'd use oil - probably groundnut because it can get hotter than butter and it's also fairly neutral.

But then throw some butter in the pan as part of making a sauce while the steak rests. But I don't cook steak/slabs of meat very often so may get that very wrong.

[crazy canuck]

How are you going to sear a steak with butter?  Isn't it going to burn at a pretty low temperature?  I know some chefs put butter on a steak, but they put butter in the pan at the very end, they don't cook with it throughout.

Butter does not burn at the temperature needed to sear a steak.

 

[Grey Fox]

I've never been under the impression that I needed 400*F to sear my steak. Medium heat for 3 minutes on each side & then oven for the right doneness.

[Razgovory]

"Steak without smoke is like sausage without fire."

That is your gnomic utterance for the day.

[crazy canuck]

I've never been under the impression that I needed 400*F to sear my steak. Medium heat for 3 minutes on each side & then oven for the right doneness.

I like to sear one side and then the edges (I like my steaks thick) then cook on opposite side, then flip back to the seared side; then, like you, finish in the oven.

[garbon]

How are you going to sear a steak with butter?  Isn't it going to burn at a pretty low temperature?  I know some chefs put butter on a steak, but they put butter in the pan at the very end, they don't cook with it throughout.

Butter does not burn at the temperature needed to sear a steak.

 

Indeed. I always/only use butter.