How to avoid smoke during pan searing meat?
I've been cooking in my cast iron skillet on medium/medium high heat with olive oil.
No matter what I cook, (chicken, fish, etc.) the oil and fat in the pan starts smoking long before the food is done. Eventually the meat gets there, but by then the house smells like the food.
I've seen this post, but any other advice I may be missing to avoid all the smoke? Lower temp? Different oil?
Best Answer
There is absolutely no way to completely avoid smoke while searing meat in olive oil. The process happens far above the smoke point of the oil (not to mention, of the meat itself). Smoke is going to happen.
With that said, if you use an oil with a higher smoke point (canola or grapeseed come to mind), and use very little of it, the smoke output will be minimized. You really don't need much oil for searing.
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Quick Answer about "How to avoid smoke during pan searing meat?"
Choose an oil with a higher smoke point than olive oil; go for canola, safflower, avocado or peanut oil. (See: 7 Common Cooking Oils and When to Use Them) Then, lightly coat your fish, meat, tofu or vegetables you plan to sear with oil instead of coating the pan.How do you keep pan seared steaks from smoking?
Andrew offers a few rules for his technique:How do you keep meat from smoking on the stove?
Understand Your Kitchen AppliancesHow do you keep oil from smoking in a pan?
After cooking, wait for the pan to cool down completely before you clean it. Proper cleaning will reduce the chance of smoking. While washing the pan, ensure that no oil or soap residue remains. Wipe and dry it thoroughly before putting it away.Why does my pan smoke when I cook?
TBH, the only that that makes sense to me with all your pans smoking from the inside is either the stove is shorted out and is always set to some crazy high heat, or there is some residue (from the oil or cleaning solution) that is burning at a low temperature.Mistakes Everyone Makes When Pan Searing Steak
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Answer 2
Grill season!
It is grill season in ATL! Actually it is always grill season in ATL.
When I am cooking something I know will make a lot of greasy smoke I take it to the grill, because it is outside. You can use a pan on the grill (cast iron skillet is perfect) or you can put some foil down and cook on top of that (skillet would be better because of the thermal mass). Or you can just heat up the grill, rub the olive oil on the meat (or don't) and grill it.
Let it smoke, baby. Let it smoke.
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