Is there a way to properly steel-cut oats yourself?
I'm fond of porridge for breakfast. This used to have something of a weirdo reputation here in Germany, but actually seems to be taking off in popularity recently.
Trouble is, everything I was able to buy so far labelled Porridge/Haferbrei turned out to be, in essence, ridiculously overpriced rolled oats. Which is funny, because a) rolled oats in many different varieties have always been easy to come by, and b) they are IMO greatly inferior to the steel-cut variant, when it comes to making porridge.
Steel-cut oats, alas, I only ever find sold as a specialty cooking ingredient (Hafergrütze) and in pitiably small quantities. Hence I have so far ordered a lot of the stuff from abroad, but I find it a bit ridiculous to order staple food from the internet.
What is again relatively easy to find are whole oat grains. I have already tried processing these to steel-cut myself in various ways, but with little success – my immersion blender will grind half of the stuff to flour while there are still lots of untouched grains left, and with a knife it takes forever to get through a noteworthy amount.
Am I missing some trick that would give a decent consistency, or is it just not feasible to do at home?
Best Answer
Seems like you should consider investing in a grain mill.
They come in a wide variety of options from manual to electric and they have different settings for how fine a grind you can get. While many of them may not grind as coarse as needed for cereals, there are many, particularly the manual mills, that do.
You probably want a burr-style mill... they're essentially the same thing as most pepper mills or good-quality coffee mills. Find one that does very coarse grain milling... perhaps check with homebrewing groups to see which they recommend, as milling is part of the brewing process.
I'm not sure you'll get the same results as a true steel cut, as it's a factory process but it will certainly be more consistent than your current results.
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Quick Answer about "Is there a way to properly steel-cut oats yourself?"
How to Make Steel Cut Oats on The Stovetop. Bring 3 cups of water or milk to a boil in a medium saucepan. Add 1 cup steel cut oats and stir. Cover, lower heat, and simmer 20-30 minutes (20 for chewier oatmeal, 30 for creamier oatmeal).Can I steel cut my own oats?
Since they have been steamed and flattened out, they cook faster. So, yes, steel cut oats take longer to cook since they are larger pieces and because they haven't been pre-steamed, but the effort is worth it.Can you eat steel cut oats without cooking them?
Can steel cut oats be eaten without cooking? The short answer is YES, however, realize that overnight steel cut oats are much chewier than a batch of soaked rolled oats. The texture of uncooked steel cut oats will be substantially different from cooked ones.Are steel cut oats better for you than rolled oats?
For this reason, steel cut oats may be the best choice for those looking for better control of their blood sugar. Steel cuts oats are slightly higher in fiber than rolled and quick oats. They also have the lowest glycemic index of the three types of oats, potentially making them the best choice for blood sugar control.How to Cook Perfect Steel Cut Oats Recipe
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Answer 2
Soak the groats in water for a few hours. Drain and dry. Use your fingers to peel off the hulls. Oatmeal typically is cut into three pieces, so try using a nut chopper device - the one with the glass container over a steel chopper that is manipulated by your hand pressing down. Using a blender creates a flour, as you posted, and that is lovely for special baked breads! Bon appetit!
Answer 3
Having just moved to the Netherlands, I find myself in a similar situation. While certainly one of the less common form of oats in Canada, steel cut oats were available in pretty much every grocery store. Here, I cannot find anyone who has even heard of them.
In any case, this site here:
https://www.leaf.tv/articles/how-to-cut-steel-cut-oats/
Suggests using a food processor. I think it makes sense that it would work better. Food processors are designed for chopping (more than a blender or immersion blender) so I have some hope it will work better than an immersion, however, I am still trying to source a food processor to test.
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