Will 93% lean ground beef stick in a non-stick skillet without oil?
I often cook 85% lean ground beef in a non-stick pan. When I first started doing this, I always added some oil to the pan before I cooked it, but then I learned that the beef had enough fat on its own, so I started cooking it without adding any oil. I just put the beef in the skillet and turn on the heat, and it turns out fine.
I bought 93% lean ground beef today, and I plan to make food with it tomorrow. But I'm not sure if it has enough fat to cook it without adding some kind of oil to the pan. If I try to cook the 93% without oil, will I run into problems?
Best Answer
There isn't a way to predict this. Non stick pans are produced in different quality and can be anywhere from "water pearls off the surface" to "as bad as enamel". And all of them lose their non stick properties over time, at wildly different rates depending on quality and usage patterns.
If you want to know it for your case, you'll have to try it. Worst case, you'll have to thoroughly clean a pan from clingy residue. If it burns onto a white ceramic coating, it can also leave a permanent discoloration, but this is a purely cosmetic problem.
Update: You can certainly save your meat even if it starts to stick. Use Joe's method from his comment, or simply stir it constantly with a flat edged spatula (I don't know which method is better). If it is patties, loosen them again and again using a spatula, maybe turning them often.
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Can you cook ground beef in a non-stick pan?
You use a nonstick pan. Okay, you can use a nonstick pan to brown ground beef if that's what you prefer. It's certainly convenient. But for truly the best sear, you'll want to go with cast iron or stainless steel. The reason is nonstick pans just don't retain heat as well.Do you need to add oil to lean ground beef?
Heat the pan and coat with oil. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. The oil helps prevent the ground beef from sticking and scorching in the pan, especially if you are using a stainless steel skillet. Use a little extra oil if you're cooking lean beef.Can you use non-stick pans without oil?
The short answer is YES. With non-stick cookware, you don't need as much oil as a typical stainless steel pan. In fact, you don't even need to cover the whole pan.Can I cook beef without oil?
Cooking steak on the stove without oil is a quick and easy process called pan-searing. Though some procedural details vary depending on the cut of meat and its size, the general process is universal. Only sear fully thawed meat; otherwise the outside cooks far quicker than the inside.Sources: Stack Exchange - This article follows the attribution requirements of Stack Exchange and is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.
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