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Alternative Oil For Frying A Turkey

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Alternative Oil For Frying A Turkey


All Manufacturers claim their oil is the best. Know the fact when choosing the right one

All Manufacturers claim their oil is the best. Know the facts when choosing the right one

Oil Options

Peanut oil is typically used for frying turkey because of its higher smoke point and a more desirable flavor. However, what if you are allergic to peanuts and don’t care to use hydrogenated oils? Is there a tastier oil to use?What if you are simply looking for the healthiest alternative? The good news is there are alternatives to peanut oil that address these needs

The ideal frying oil would contain a higher amount of monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats with minimal or no saturated fats and trans fats.The American Heart Association (AHA) recommends the average intake of fat should be 30% of your total caloric intake. This fat intake should consist of balanced fat, which provides nutrients that are essential to sustain life. A Balanced fat intake should contain approximately 30% saturated fat, 33% poly-unsaturated fat, (containing Essential Fatty Acids) and 37% mono-unsaturated fat.

Comparison of Different Fats

The Good Fats
Mono-unsaturated Fats Mono-unsaturated fats lower total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol (the bad cholesterol) and increase the HDL cholesterol (the good cholesterol).
Poly-unsaturated Fats (Essential Fatty Acids) Poly-unsaturated fats lower total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol. Fatty acids such as Omega 3 belong to this group.
The Bad Fats
Saturated Fats Saturated fats raise total blood cholesterol as well as LDL cholesterol (the bad cholesterol).
Trans Fats Trans fats raise LDL cholesterol (the bad cholesterol) and lower HDL cholesterol (the good cholesterol).


Comparison of smoke point and balance of fats in some commonly used oils:

OIL TYPE SMOKE POINT MONO-UNSATURATED FAT POLY-UNSATURATED FAT SATURATED FAT
Rice Bran Oil 490 47% 33% 20%
Olive Oil 360 77% 9% 14%
Canola Oil 450 61% 33% 7%
Peanut Oil 460 48% 34% 18%
Soybean Oil 440 24% 61% 15%
Grape seed Oil 485 14% 77% 9%
Cottonseed Oil 430 18% 52% 26%

Rice Bran Oil

$$$$
Best Choice

The most balanced and versatile oil on the market and closest to the AHA recommendations. Rice bran oil is a superior salad, cooking, and frying oil which leaves no lingering after taste. The high smoke point prevents fatty acid breakdown at high temperatures. Its light viscosity, allows less oil to be absorbed in cooking, reducing overall calories. It mixes better in salad dressings and improves the taste of baked goods, providing cholesterol reduction, nutritional and anti-oxidant value.

Olive Oil

$$$$$
Poor Choice

High mono fat, able to lower cholesterol but deficient in poly fat, which contains Essential Fatty Acids (EFA). EFAs are truly essential to life as every metabolic process in your body depends on them. A low smoke point makes it a poor choice for frying, and its heavy taste makes it undesirable in many baked goods. Traditionally a good salad oil.

Canola Oil

$$$
Best Value

High mono fat with cholesterol lowering ability but there are concerns about the origin. Canola oil is a term coined by Canada to change the name of rapeseedoil. The rapeseed plant contains erucic acid making it toxic and is used as an industrial lubricant. It has been genetically modified and hybrid to produce a low erucic acid version. Commonly hydrogenated, it is extensively used in the food industry because of its low price. The hybrid plant would be the best choice.

Peanut Oil

$$$$
Excellent Choice

A good balanced oil. This oil has good cholesterol lowering ability and a high smoke point, making it a good frying oil. It imparts a slightly earthy, nutty flavor. It lacks the anti-oxidants and micronutrients of Rice Bran Oil. A small percentage of people are allergic to nut oils.

Soybean Oil

$$$
Poor Choice

This oil is a high poly fat. As recommended by the AHA your poly fat intake should be around 33% of your total fat intake. A high poly percentage is, an aid to tumors and cancer and should be carefully watched. Up to 80% of the oil consumed in the U.S.A. today comes from soybeans. Soybean oil is commonly hydrogenated and used in many processed foods.

Grapeseed Oil

$$$$$
Poor Choice

A good frying and salad oil, but again high in poly fat. It does lower cholesterol because of the high unsaturated fat content but is way over the recommended 33% poly-unsaturated fat. Most likely will not find in the bulk quantities needed to fry turkey

Cottonseed Oil

$$$$
Good Value

Known for its buttery, nutty flavor, cottonseed oil does not require hydrogenation, therefore is trans fat free, allowing heavy use by food manufacturers for industrial frying applications such as potato chip production. It is also what Crisco is made from (Crisco meaning crystallized cottonseed oil. Although it offers a 2:1 ratio of polyunsaturated to saturated fatty acids, it is the highest in saturated fats. Pure Cottonseed oil is not typically available at the retail level. Although, it is available to consumers in niche markets, e.g. in sporting good stores where turkey fryers are sold, likely under the generic name “frying oil”. Stick with Canola.


Comparison of natural antioxidants in edible oils

OIL TYPE VITAMIN E TOCOPHEROL (ppm*) VITAMIN E TOCOTRIENOL (ppm*) ORYZANOL (ppm*) TOTAL NATURAL ANTIOXIDANTS (ppm*)
Rice Bran Oil 81 336 2,000 2,417
Olive Oil 51 0 0 51
Canola Oil 650 0 0 650
Peanut Oil 487 0 0 487
Soybean Oil 1,000 0 0 1,000
Grape seed Oil 256 149 0 405
Cottonseed Oil Claims to be high in vitamin E, although could not find reliable information

* ppm. stands for parts per million

Sources:
http://www.cottonseedoiltour.com/
http://www.californiariceoil.com/

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Smoke/Roasted Injected Chicken  Grape Seed Oils as the flavorizing agent

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Smoke/Roasted Injected Chicken Grape Seed Oils as the flavorizing agent


SOURCE: www.sizzleonthegrill.com

Cajun Injector

Lately Ive been playing around with injection cooking. OK that sounds awkward.

Youve probably tried marinades that require you to soak meat, usually overnight in a covered tray placed in the fridge, using either an off-the-shelf commercially prepared product or home-made concoction. With this method and depending upon the meat, in about 8 24 hours the has successfully penetrated into the meat and imparts both flavor and moisture. In some recipes, if the is acid-based with ingredients like apple cider vinegar, soy sauce, citrus fruit, pineapple, etc the meat may be tenderized to some degree. And you may have also read about and perhaps used brining as a way to boost the moisture and flavor in poultry and pork. Injection is kinda the same thing but you do it nearly immediately prior to cooking and can precisely select where the flavor enhancement will be placed.

inject 1AFor a turkey you may wish to only enhance the moisture and flavor of the breast meat by injecting simple brine liquid or add flavorings. Inserting the needle in one spot and re-injecting at different angles will ensure better coverage and fewer holes from which liquid can escape during cooking. Illustration courtesy Bruce Foods Corporation

The basic technique is to use what amounts to a large hypodermic needle or needle attached to the end of a turkey baster and inject seasoned liquids into meat to both increase the flavor and juiciness of the meat. Depending upon the type of meat, the cut and the cooking method you can target specific regions of a large roast (say the breast of a large turkey See illustration 1A) to inject a simple brine or flavored . Or you can target flavor and moisture to all sections of the turkey, chicken or roast. See illustration 1B. Its fairly common practice to see competition barbeque teams injecting flavor enhancing sauces into everything from chicken to pork butt to brisket prior to barbequing. Injection can be a useful technique to learn by most backyard grillers as they seek to expand their repertoire of cooking skills.

inject 1BAnother method is to enhance the flavor and moisture of a turkey, chicken or roast in several locations by making multiple injections in an organized grid. Illustration courtesy Bruce Foods Corporation.

The combination of ingredients you inject into the meat is, of course, your choice and based completely upon your taste buds. For beginners I always recommend that you start with simple flavor enhancements and move up the ladder to a more complex combination of flavors after you get some experience with how to prepare and cook the particular cut of meat youve chosen. And I also recommend you learn on one favorite cut of meat and develop some skills with that cut before moving on to the next. Practice will help you learn and that information can then be applied to the other cuts of meat on your menu.

As for what to inject there are a number of commercial sauces on the market blended specifically for injection. And there are as many home recipes and opinions on the best injection ingredients as, well, as there are folks who barbeque and have opinions! Personally I tend to use fewer hot and overpowering spices in all areas of my cooking and this personal taste carries over into what I mix up to inject into turkey, chicken, beef or pork. That said many of the more popular prepared injection recipes are Cajun style sauces and most of those are just not my style. Nothing wrong with em just not for me. I like spices and flavors that enhance and compliment the meat rather than overwhelm it and, too often, I find the use of the word Cajun is code that means Burn da mouth hot with spices! Ive eaten amazing Cajun food down on the Louisianan bayou and enjoyed it for the richly complex textures, distinct flavors and use of spices to enhance and heighten the flavor profileand I like that. So you know Im just sayin. For those of you who do enjoy these spicy Cajun style products I am told the Oklahoma Joes Injectable Marinade-Cajun Butter is to die for!

Once you have selected the spices and flavors you want to inject you need to determine a liquid medium. Ive used ketchup, barbeque sauce, clarified butter seasoned with thyme, tarragon, garlic, ginger, etc. Ive used beer (not the best idea I ever had) and Ive even used a diluted brine recipe with just water, salt and brown sugar. Lately Ive begun using oils. For pork roasts one of my favorites is to inject roasted garlic infused oil into the pork loin and roasting on the rotisserie spit. Oh man that is DEE-LISH-US! And if you like mint with lamb, try infusing some olive oil with garlic and mint then injecting it into a boneless leg of lamb that you grill or rotisserie. Please friends, give me a moment to recover from that taste memory. Whew! Thank you.

Im leaning toward using more healthy oils in all areas of cooking, especially when using an injection because I can add moisture and flavoring remember: FAT = FLAVOR as well as the fact that many oils are composed of healthier fats if I select the right oils. Recently I wrote a rather detailed post titled The oils I use for grilling & why. A distillation of which simply stated is:

Use less expensive high heat oils like canola for spritzing on meat prior to grilling and the more expensive higher quality cold-pressed oils for flavoring after grilling.

OK here I go with a contradiction (kinda) to that statement. I dont use cold-pressed oils like Extra Virgin Olive Oil, etc. to grill with because they are not capable of handling the high heat of grates and will turn bitter at those temperatures, thus wasting the flavor they can add and not to mention they cost more than common vegetable oils~! Grape Seed oil is an exception to this kinda but it can be more expensive than more common oils like canola and even peanut, so I tend to use it indoors for saute work. Until now.

Our regular Sunday routine is to stroll the Ballard Farmers Market and purchase directly from the farmer, fisherman or maker the ingredients for supper. This open air market is held 51 weeks a year and fills the street and sidewalks of a full city block featuring a diverse selection of produce, fruit, flowers, artisan cheese, fish, oysters, pasture raised custom butchered beef pork lamb goat and chicken as well as many other goodies.

Ballard Farmers Market Montage - courtesy Tingling Tastebuds web log.Fresh heirloom vegetables that you can’t find in the grocery store, picked that morning and often by the person selling it to you, is why I enjoy shopping at my local Ballard Farmers Market. Photo gallery courtesy Tingling Tastebuds web log.

We dont purchase all of our food there but this particular market is expanding and the selection of specialty heirloom varieties of vegetables (like potatoes, tomatoes and carrots for instance) is much wider than what supermarkets can offer due to space and perish-ability. I find food there that I cant find elsewhere. For example a few weeks back I noticed a booth featuring cold-pressed grape seed oils made from varietal wine grapes. I read the bottle and asked questions and learned these come from the Yakima and Walla Walla, Washington wine region and, apparently, outside of one small processor in Germany, are the only cold-pressed oils made from wine variety grape seed in the world. Certainly the only cold-pressed varietal wine grape seed oils made in the Americas. I was skeptical that oil pressed from a Riesling grape would taste any bit different than a Cabernet or a Chardonnay seed or, for that matter, that of a common green seedless table grape. So I took their taste-test challenge.

Mind you, I have not kept my fine wine palate in good shape since leaving the restaurant business nearly 30 years ago. At that time I could most often ascertain the subtle differences in varietals and techniques, the terroir of origin and even some vintages Id been able to catalog into memory. But like so many learned skills it has become muddled with lack of use. Today I can discern many of the distinct and some of the subtle differences in flavor and textures between high quality cold-pressed oils such as apricot, walnut, avocado and various olive oils like Kalamata, Spanish, Greek, regional Italian, etc. But my expectations for this taste-test were not high.

Therefor I was honestly surprised and captivated when I could ascertain the distinct differences between the varietal wine grape seed oils and I my taste buds were very pleased by the additional natural flavorings paired with specific oils. I brought several bottles home to try with meals I had planned for the week. I drizzled the Riesling grape seed oil infused with natural lime on chicken roasted in The Big Easy, Chardonnay grape seed oil infused with smoke from Chardonnay grape vines drizzled over grilled trout and Cabernet grape seed oil infused with natural essence of peppercorns drizzle on grilled beef tenderloins! And was blown away by a Chipotle Merlot grape seed oil on grilled prawns! DEE-LISH-US!

Then it came to me Why not inject these oils into meat and see what happens?

Lime Reisling cold-pressed varietal grape seed oil - ready selected to inject into the chicken breast.Lime Riesling cold-pressed varietal grape seed oil - selected to inject into the chicken breast.
Injecting Lime Reisling oil into chicken breast: Angle 1.Injecting Lime Riesling grape seed oil into chicken breast: Angle 1.
Injecting Lime Resiling grape seed oil into chicken breast: Angle 2Injecting Lime Riesling grape seed oil into chicken breast: Angle 2
Checking temperatue of chicken breast after roasting.Checking temperature of chicken breast after roasting.
Cabernet Poivre cold-pressed varietal grape seed oil ready to inject into the chicken thighs.Cabernet Poivre cold-pressed varietal grape seed oil - selected to inject into the chicken thighs.
Injecting Cabernet Poivre cold-pressed grape seed oil into a chicken leg & thigh.Injecting Cabernet Poivre cold-pressed grape seed oil into a chicken leg & thigh.
Crispy roasted chicken leg - infused with Cabernet Poivre cold-pressed grape seed oil.Crispy roasted chicken leg - infused with Cabernet Poivre cold-pressed grape seed oil.

The chicken parts were all roasted in the Char-Broil Outdoor Stove Top & Smoker used as an oven for about 40 minutes at 375F degrees or until internal temperature readings indicated meat was cooked. A light smoke of Apple-Cherry-Mesquite wood chips was used for about half of that cooking time to flavor the crust on the roasted chicken.

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You may want to adjust some preparation ingredients to accommodate the use of an injection, depending upon what ingredients you prefer to use in the injection. Let me know what you choose and how it turns out!

Happy Grilling!


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The oils I use for grilling & why


Source: www.sizzleonthegrill.com
If you are a regular reader ofSizzle on the Grill you may have noticed I usually mention in recipes or online posts that I spritz meat with a bit of canola oil prior to grilling. There are a couple of reasons I use this oil and why I spritz the meat, not the grates. First of all, unless the grates are being seasoned, the oil will burn off the grates before I place meat on it. The oil serves a purpose of helping to rapidly transfer heat from the grates to the meat. The seared meat proteins release when they are done or brown and the oil merely facilitates this. The second reason is because grilling for me usually means Im searing at a higher temperature, say 500F degrees or higher, before finishing at a lower temperature and I want an oil that will be OK for the higher heat. There really arent any that are both great for this high heat AND affordable. After testing a variety of oils I settled upon Canola for its generally higher temp capacity and affordability.

Generally speaking, when frying or grilling I like to use oils which are flavor neutral. I dont want to add flavor to the grilled meat from the oil especially from the oil incinerating at the higher temperature I use when grilling! Depending upon the technique used to prepare the food I will use different oils because they have specific characteristics which enhance the food flavor. For example, I never use Extra Virgin or cold-pressed oils to cook with grilling or other wise. When extra virgin oils are exposed to heat they tend to burn quickly and turn bitter. I use these primarily as a top dressing of flavor on grilled meats after cooking, much the way I might use a compound butter.

NOTE: I want to be very upfront about the content presented here. To write this post I have borrowed extensively from the exhaustive and comprehensive efforts by Andrew Grygus on the subject of oils. His work is published at www.clovegarden.com. Much of the specific information about oils is edited excerpts from his work and my comments are in blue after the information. The cooking oilSmoke Temperature & Composition chart at the bottom of the post is 100% his work.

As for all of this fuss Im making about oils let me fall back to my default philosophy about grilling and cooking: If you are happy with the results you are getting, then keep doing things the way you do! YOU are the chef. But if you are interested in getting different results, this advice may be useful to you.

Happy Grilling!

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My 3 most favorite grilling oils

1. Canola Oil:

Canola is an invented name (Canada + oil) for genetically modified rapeseed (technically, low erucic acid rapeseed). Rapeseed/Canola is a member of the mustard/cabbage family. Unmodified rapeseed is high in erucic acid which has caused heart lesions in animals so is considered unfit for food. The genetically modified (by breeding, not gene splicing) canola version has under 2% erucic acid and is approved by the FDA. The smoke point of canola oil (400F/200C for refined oil) tolerates higher temperatures for frying and grilling and the taste of canola oil is unobtrusive so it can be used as a general purpose oil like grape seed oil or peanut oil. Canola oil is considered one of the more heart friendly oils, having a very high percentage of monounsaturated fats (though not as much as Olive Oil) and a very low percentage of saturated fats. In the past Ive purchased spray cans of this oil as they are useful for spritzing meat. Im switching to a mechanical spray device that I fill. Its cheaper in the long run and less waste in the landfill.

2. Grape Seed Oil:

This is promoted as an excellent all-around frying oil because it has a very high smoke temperature (480F/250C for refined oil) and is highly resistant to breaking down. Once again, be aware of gourmet cold pressed or virgin oils which will smoke at a much lower temperature. With its unobtrusive flavor, grape seed oil can be used for Chinese stir fry in place of peanut oil called for in many recipes. Grape seed oil is higher in polyunsaturates than some other oils but has a high anti-oxidant content so it resists rancidity better than many vegetable oils. One caution: its a fast drying oil so you want to clean up splatter right away because cleaning will be a lot harder in a few days. On the other hand, this makes it very good for seasoning bare steel and cast iron cookware.I brush this oil on fish when I am going to grill it flesh side to the grates. Its a bit pricey so I dont use it for everyday grilling.

3. Safflower Oil

Safflower is a member of the sunflower family, but its oil is even higher in polyunsaturated fat and lower in saturated fat than sunflower oil. This extreme composition means it does not solidify when refrigerated, which has made it a favorite for production of salad dressings. It also has a very high smoke point, 510F/265C. A very useful oil unless you are one of the growing number that suspects polyunsaturates are evil.This is a relatively inexpensive oil and I use it sometimes, but the convenience of canola in the spray cans has been hard to beat. As Im changing that habit, perhaps Ill use more Safflower oil in the future.

I can already hear you saying out loud: Hey CB! What about olive oil you know, EVOO and all that business I hear on the TV food shows!

Olive Oil

Here we have the king of both cooking and salad oils with a range of quality and flavors we associate with wine. The finest olive oils do tend to come from areas famed for wine of these, Italy and California generally produce the top oils. Italians import huge quantities of olives from Spain and Greece, so Italian oil isnt guaranteed made from Italian grown olives. Olive oil should be stored in a cool place and out of direct sunlight. In tightly sealed glass bottles it will last up to a year but should be discarded after that. If stored below 50F/10C it will become cloudy, and if refrigerated it will become positively murky, but it will be unharmed and will clear up if allowed to rest at a warmer temperature.

The grades of olive oil can be quite confusing to many consumers, but the only two most Americans really need to deal with are Extra Virgin and Pure Olive Oil. The grades are quality grades, not flavor grades, and within any particular grade there will be wide differences of flavor depending on maker and country of origin.

Grades of Olive Oil:

  • Extra Virgin is cold pressed (first pressing) oil with 1% or less oleic acid. Use this oil for salads, condiments and other low temperature uses to preserve the flavor you are paying for.I buy some good stuff and use it on meats after they are grilleddrizzling just a small amount on the salty crust of lamb or beef is DEE-LISH-US.
  • Fine Virgin is cold pressed oil with 1.5% or less oleic acid. Use the same as Extra Virgin for salads and condiments.
  • Virgin is cold pressed oil with 2% or less oleic acid used for salads, cooking and low temperature frying (up to 320F/160C).
  • Semi-Fine Virgin can have oleic acid as high as 3.3% and is best used for cooking and low temperature frying.
  • Lampante Virgin can have flavor defects and oleic acid higher than 3.3% and is not used for direct human consumption but rather as feed stock for making refined olive oil.
  • Pure Olive Oil (also called just Olive Oil) is generally a blend of 85% refined oil and 15% virgin oil. Its a good general cooking oil for use at higher temperatures than virgin oil (up to 410F/210C) and accounts for 80% of the oil consumed in Spain and Portugal.I use this on meats I will be slow roasting or smoking.
  • Refined Olive Oil is virgin or second pressing oil refined to remove flavor defects and high acidity. The final acidity is 0.3% or less and it has no characteristic olive oil flavor. It is a good cooking oil that can stand higher temperatures than virgin oils.
  • Light or Mild olive oil is filtered to remove much of the olive oil flavor, and is in some cases a blend of olive and other oils. These products are sold mostly to the health conscious at value added prices. Light refers to flavor and it has just as many calories as any other olive oil.
  • Pomace Oil is olive oil extracted with heat and solvents from the crushed residue left from making better grade oils and is then refined. It lacks any olive oil character and is rare in the consumer market, though groceries serving ethnic populations may have it. Most is sold to commercial food processors who use it because it is low cost and can stand higher temperatures than any other olive oil but can still be listed as healthful olive oil in the ingredients (in truth, the health benefits of olive oil are uniform throughout the quality grades).
  • Olive-Pomace Oil is pomace oil blended with some virgin oil to improve flavor. This is usually found in gallon cans in ethnic groceries catering to Mediterranean and Near Eastern populations. It can stand higher temperatures than any other olive oils except straight pomace oil. I purchase large cans of this blend and use it in pan saute and sometimes for grilling meats.

Usage Guidelines for Olive Oil:

  • Extra Virgin is used for drizzling, for condiments, salad dressings and other low temperature applications where a distinctive olive oil flavor is desired. It can be use for very low temperature frying and braising but will lose its distinctive flavor if overheated.What did I tell you!
  • Pure Olive Oil is a superb multi-use oil. Use it the same as Extra Virgin wherever the distinctive flavor of ExV would overwhelm. It can be used for all moderate temperature saut and braising applications and for moderate temperature deep frying, anything below 400F/200C.Too pricey for general grilling and the flavor is lost in the heat! Why pay for flavor if you arent using it?
  • Lite Olive Oil where you want to avoid polyunsaturated oils but want a flavorless oil. Effectively, its the same as Pomace olive oil but filtered rather than refined so the price is a lot higher.
  • Pomace and Olive-Pomace is used for intense deep frying with temperatures even up to 450F/235C. You can also use it as you would Lite olive oil if the word refined doesnt scare you.I buy large cans of this at the Cash & Carry where the small restaurants shop. Its perfect for everyday saute work and some grilling!
  • Olive Canola Blends seem a way to make a cheaper oil and still use olive oil on the label. A decent moderate temperature frying oil (to 400F/200C) with little or no distinctive olive oil flavor. Certainly healthier than corn or soy oil (way lower in polyunsaturates) but less durable (higher oxidation factor) than pure olive oil for deep frying.Whats the point? Just use canola oil its cheaper!

General thoughts on the over use of Extra Virgin Olive Oil by many folks.

If you are using oils like Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Sesame, etc. on meat for marinades or prior to grilling and dont feel you are getting the results I present may I inquire as to the additional spice and spice heat you enjoy? Often times folks using EVOO also use a great deal of spice in the preparation of meat for the grill. First off the subtle flavors of the finer quality olive oil is lost in all that spice, so why bother? Second because the spices will generate heat, when the oil burns and turns bitter it isnt noticed. Once again I ask: Why spend the money on fine oil when you arent really enjoying its benefits? Add a drizzle of the good stuff after the cook!


Oils I use sparingly:

Peanut Oil

Peanuts are actually legumes (beans) rather than nuts, so general comments about nut oils do not apply. Peanut oil is called for particularly in Chinese cooking because its light flavor does not detract from the flavor of quickly stir fried ingredients and its high smoke point lends it to that style of frying. I find house brand peanut oil in gallon jugs and 5 gallon cans at a local restaurant supply store, but substitutes like grape seed oil are now available everywhere (peanut is lower in polyunsaturates).I have a small bottle of this, but its pricey these days. I use it during the final 15 minutes or so on turkey in The Big Easy just for the sake of tradition.

Butter

Whole butter is a mix of fats, milk solids and moisture derived by churning cream until the oil droplets stick together and can be separated out. Butter is high in saturated fats which cause it to be solid at normal room temperature. Whole butter can be used only at low temperatures because included milk protein solids brown and then burn easily. Overheated butter loses much of its flavor and severely overheated butter will be bitter.Is there anything better than a pat of butter, maybe with some garlic in it, placed on top of a perfectly grilled steak? If I am using a very low BTU portable gas grill, I might use butter on the meat as a fail-safe to ensure they get some grill marks. They arent really seared, because the temperature never gets hot enough but they look good and the butter is browned a bit, not burnt!, and that adds to flavor. I do not recommend using butter on meat prior to grilling over charcoal, on a higher powered gas grill and most definitely NOT with infrared grills!

Clarified Butter

is butter that has been warmed until it is liquid. Any residue that floats to the top is skimmed off and discarded, the clear oil is poured off and the solids that sink to the bottom are discarded. Clarified butter can be used at a higher temperature than whole butter and is resistant to rancidity, but it does lack much of the flavor of whole butter.During the winter months, when Im cooking more indoors, I keep a pan of this handy for cooking eggs. In a pinch Id use it for grilling, but its kinda risky it will burn!

Walnut Oil

While the smoke point of refined walnut oil is reasonably high (400F/200C), this oil is far more commonly found as an unrefined oil which should be used for lower temperature frying and salad applications because taking it too high will destroy the flavor you paid extra for.I have a small bottle of walnut oil that I enjoy drizzling on grilled veggies. Tasty, yes but its expensive!

Avocado Oil

Here we have a real smoke point champion (520F/270C). If you want to sear meat quickly, or some other very high temperature application, this is the way to go. It is also a very healthy oil with a profile similar to Olive Oil. Unfortunately, its not commonly available.Too pricey to use on a regular basis. I havent purchased a bottle in years usually the one I have in my pantry is a holiday gift!

Sesame Seed Oil

Sesame oil is pressed from tiny sesame seeds and is available in several distinctly different varieties based upon the amount of roasting time for the seeds. Store these relatively perishable oils in a cool place away from light in tightly sealed containers and they should last up to 9 months.I primarily use this oil for a finish flavoring after cooking when I want a subtle reference to Asian flavors. Its great on grilled beans or in a glaze brushed on chicken, pork or fish in the final moments of grilling. I would not use it on meat pre-grilling because it will burn and taste nasty.

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Smoke Temperature & Composition

Please note: all temperatures and percent figures are approximate and vary with growing conditions, plant varieties, animal feed processing, storage conditions and many other factors.

Name Smoke
F/C
Sat Mono-
unsat.
Poly-
unsat.
Trans-
fat
Oxi
**
Notes
Avocado 520/270 20% 70% 10% 0%
Almond 495/255 8% 73% 19% 0%
Beef Tallow 420/220 52% 43% 5% some 0.86
Butter 300/148 65% 30% 5% 0.3 gm/T
Butter Ghee 375/190 65% 30% 5% 0.3 gm/T Clarified butter
Canola 400/200 7% 61% 32% 0% 5.5 11% Omega 3
Canola
-hydrogenated
400/200 7% 61% 32% 3.6 gm/T 1.3 fast food deep fry
Chicken Fat 375/190 32% 46% 22% some
Coconut Oil 350/175 92% 6% 2% 0% 0.24
Corn (Maize) 450/235 13% 29% 58% 0% 6.2
Cottonseed 420/215 24% 26% 50% 0% 5.4
Duck Fat 375/190 33% 49% 13% some
Goose Fat 375/190 28% 57% 11% some
Grapeseed 480/250 9% 20% 71% 0% 67% linoleic, High vitamin E
Hazlenut 430/220 10% 76% 14% 0%
Lard (Pig) 360/185 44% 45% 11% 0.2 gm/T 1.7
Macademia 385/195 0%
Margerine, hard 325/160 80% 14% 16% 2.8 gm/T Variable by manufacturer
Margerine, soft 325/160 20% 47% 33% 0.6 gm/T Variable by manufacturer
Mustard 410/180 1% 76% 23% 0%
Olive, Virgin 320/160 15% 75% 10% 0%
Olive, Pure 410/210 15% 75% 10% 0% 1.5
Olive-Pomace
Olive Ext Light
460/240 15% 75% 10% 0% 1.5
Palm 420/215 51% 39% 10% 0%
Palm Kernel 82% 11% 7% 0% 0.27
Peanut 450/235 19% 48% 33% 0% 3.7
Poppyseed 14% 21% 65% 0% 3.7
Rice Bran 490/255 20% 47% 33% 0%
Safflower 510/265 9% 12% 75% 0% 7.6
Sesame 410/210 14% 40% 46% 0%
Sheep 50% 41% 9% some
Shortening, Veg 325/160 4.2 gm/T
0.3 gm/T
Highly variable by maker
No trans version now available
Soybean 450/235 15% 23% 62% 0% 7.0 8% Omega 3
Sunflower 450/235 12% 16% 72% 0% 6.8
Sunflower
- high oleic
450/235 9% 82% 9% 0% 1.9
Tuna (Fish) 31% 29% 40% some Best Omega-3 source
Walnut 400/204 14% 19% 67% 0%
Wheat Germ 20% 30% 50% 0%
Cold Pressed
Virgin,
Unrefined
320/160 Sesame, Olive, Peanut, Soybean,
Corn, Walnut
May lose some flavor
before smoke point
Cold Pressed
Virgin,
Unrefined
225/110 Sunflower, Canola, Safflower
** Oxidation index (lower numbers are better). This is an indicator of how well the oil will stand up to deep frying.

Oxidation index (lower numbers are better). This is an indicator of how well the oil will stand up to deep frying. This table and most of the information contained in this post is sourced directly from www.clovegarden.com and was compiled by Andrew Grygus

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