Yeah roasting broccoli and brussels sprouts in beef fat sounds like a good time. You could also deep fry some Korean style fried chicken, since the 'breading' is just corn starch.
One of the issues with stir frying is that tallow can quickly become waxy as it cools. That's fine for deep fried when you want a crust, especially for carbs, but can be unpleasant if the fat is stored to be more like a sauce.
I guess i can mix ot with another oil to thin it down, though.
Is it even possible to buy an integrated 30" range with combi oven from any manufacturer? Googling only shows in wall mounted combi ovens, even then those are $3k+
Made some jaegerschnitzel w/ spaetzle. Gravy could've turned out a bit better, in the past I've cooked up some bacon beforehand and then used some of the grease as a base instead of the butter I used here. Also I'd chop the bacon up and add it back in. So it ended up being more of a bacon gravy instead of the more generic creamy brown gravy I've got here. That said, it's still delicious. Pretty pleased with how the schnitzel turned out, too. Frying stuff always makes me uneasy, but I think I'm getting the hang of it. Started out with the heat a bit too high, but I dialed it back and the rest of them cooked like a breeze (that was one of the better ones). I've never had this brand of spaetzle before, either, but it tasted good. I think the noodle size is a bit unwieldy, though. Previous spaetzle brands I've used were in smaller, more manageable pieces.
Also, took like half the evening. I don't know if it was worth all the time, tbh. Could've cut it down if I was cooking all the stuff simultaneously, but I can only keep so much stuff going by myself without stuff ending up burnt.
Made some jaegerschnitzel w/ spaetzle. Gravy could've turned out a bit better, in the past I've cooked up some bacon beforehand and then used some of the grease as a base instead of the butter I used here. Also I'd chop the bacon up and add it back in. So it ended up being more of a bacon gravy instead of the more generic creamy brown gravy I've got here. That said, it's still delicious. Pretty pleased with how the schnitzel turned out, too. Frying stuff always makes me uneasy, but I think I'm getting the hang of it. Started out with the heat a bit too high, but I dialed it back and the rest of them cooked like a breeze (that was one of the better ones). I've never had this brand of spaetzle before, either, but it tasted good. I think the noodle size is a bit unwieldy, though. Previous spaetzle brands I've used were in smaller, more manageable pieces.
Also, took like half the evening. I don't know if it was worth all the time, tbh. Could've cut it down if I was cooking all the stuff simultaneously, but I can only keep so much stuff going by myself without stuff ending up burnt.
Lover Jaeger schnitzel! The hunters gravy is what makes it the best choice!
So I have a herby conundrum I need some help with...
Ahead of cooking a large batch of chilli, I reupped my supply of oregano. Only to find upon opening the pack that it smelled minty as oppose to the spicy lemony scent of every other pack I've bought.
My google-fu has turned up a singular website that talks about Italian vs Greek oregano, where the former has a minty flavour more suited to puddings and tea than the savoury dishes I'd hoped to make. Interestingly it mentions that growing the herb in an arid climate will lead to a more pepperminty flavour; seeing as my package is labelled as coming from Iran, than this kinda makes sense.
What's perturbing me is the lack of corroborating info on this whole mintiness lark. Everywhere else seems to talk about Italian oregano as simply being a milder flavour. Until googling around, the mint flavour was so strong I was genuinely convinced that the manufacturer had mislabelled a batch of mint.
Can anyone recommend a good chamber vacuum sealer? Looking to upgrade from the ol' foodsaver so I can vacuum seal liquids.
I would wait at least 6 months, per my earlier post, assuming Trump loses.
The price of chamber sealers shot up hundreds of dollars due to the Trump tariffs. VacMaster used to have one that sold for $400-$500, but they discontinued that model and their next cheaper one sells for twice that much. Unfortunately, it might not be cost effective for them to have consumer models while the tariffs are still in place.
Their are alternative companies out there, but they aren't as well known, and they're going to be just as effected by the tariffs as VacMaster.
I'm experimenting with making my own pasta, but I'm trying to find recommendations for the right thickness for different types of sauces. Can anyone recommend any resources?
0
AbsoluteZeroThe new film by Quentin KoopantinoRegistered Userregular
Can anyone recommend a good chamber vacuum sealer? Looking to upgrade from the ol' foodsaver so I can vacuum seal liquids.
I would wait at least 6 months, per my earlier post, assuming Trump loses.
The price of chamber sealers shot up hundreds of dollars due to the Trump tariffs. VacMaster used to have one that sold for $400-$500, but they discontinued that model and their next cheaper one sells for twice that much. Unfortunately, it might not be cost effective for them to have consumer models while the tariffs are still in place.
Their are alternative companies out there, but they aren't as well known, and they're going to be just as effected by the tariffs as VacMaster.
Thanks, Trump.
Any VacMaster model in particular you would recommend if/when tariff stupidity ends?
Can anyone recommend a good chamber vacuum sealer? Looking to upgrade from the ol' foodsaver so I can vacuum seal liquids.
I would wait at least 6 months, per my earlier post, assuming Trump loses.
The price of chamber sealers shot up hundreds of dollars due to the Trump tariffs. VacMaster used to have one that sold for $400-$500, but they discontinued that model and their next cheaper one sells for twice that much. Unfortunately, it might not be cost effective for them to have consumer models while the tariffs are still in place.
Their are alternative companies out there, but they aren't as well known, and they're going to be just as effected by the tariffs as VacMaster.
Thanks, Trump.
Any VacMaster model in particular you would recommend if/when tariff stupidity ends?
I was aiming for the 112 before it was discontinued. In addition to being a lot cheaper, it was 50 pounds as opposed 80 pounds.
Even if I was willing to pay extra for the higher end models, the weight is kind of a deal breaker.
+1
daveNYCWhy universe hate Waspinator?Registered Userregular
Tried a three layer mousse cake. The bottom was actually a flourless chocolate cake with the regular dark chocolate followed by a white chocolate mousse. The top layer ended up going kaput so it was more of a two layer cake with a fairly tasty white chocolate sauce on top. Fortunately the recipe called for adding some gelatin to the white layer otherwise it'd have been a sauce all over the place.
The melting behavior of white chocolate annoys me.
Shut up, Mr. Burton! You were not brought upon this world to get it!
I was looking for something as aggressive as steel wool for cleaning pans, but safe for coated pans. I managed to stumble on this hard scrubby for grills (I'll dig up a link later) and it works a dream! I used it on an Orgreenic pan that's been abused over the years and had a bunch of caked-on dried oil on the sides. It was a good test bed since it's got some serious gouges already (and I'm planning to replace it soon). The pan looks much newer now.
The scrubbies have a handle (which is easily removable) so you can bear down on tough spots. Combine this with my boiling water + baking soda + 2 drops of dish soap mixture and uncoated pans look new all the time.
Also on a lark this past weekend, I broke out my grandparents' old cast iron skillet to try with some eggs. Typically it's disaster to do eggs in cast iron for me, but a light spray of Pam was all I needed and they cooked up great! Seasoned cast iron always wins.
Can anyone recommend a good chamber vacuum sealer? Looking to upgrade from the ol' foodsaver so I can vacuum seal liquids.
I would wait at least 6 months, per my earlier post, assuming Trump loses.
The price of chamber sealers shot up hundreds of dollars due to the Trump tariffs. VacMaster used to have one that sold for $400-$500, but they discontinued that model and their next cheaper one sells for twice that much. Unfortunately, it might not be cost effective for them to have consumer models while the tariffs are still in place.
Their are alternative companies out there, but they aren't as well known, and they're going to be just as effected by the tariffs as VacMaster.
Thanks, Trump.
Any VacMaster model in particular you would recommend if/when tariff stupidity ends?
It looks like VacMaster did announce two new models in the past two months. Here's a video that compares the cheaper of the two with a competing brand:
Alright, cooking thread: is there some secret to searing meats to prevent setting off my smoke alarm?
I recently replaced all my smoke alarms, after learning in the homeowner thread you're supposed to do that once a decade, and now my alarm goes off when I make bacon (overnight sous vide at 165, in a cast iron pan on the stove top for 2 minutes with a bacon press) and half the time when I sear steaks or chops or tenderloin. I already switched to grapeseed oil for a higher smoke point but searing anything is just a smoke-fest. At this point I have to either sear on the grill outside or put a cast iron pan in the oven at 500 for a while and then sear in the garage if it's raining.
I've been looking at houses recently as the wife and I want to move and like #2 on my list of "things to look for" is "serious business vent hood over the stove".
The number of houses with no vent over the stove is goddamned disgraceful.
PSN,Steam,Live | CptHamiltonian
+1
OrcaAlso known as EspressosaurusWrexRegistered Userregular
Alright, cooking thread: is there some secret to searing meats to prevent setting off my smoke alarm?
I recently replaced all my smoke alarms, after learning in the homeowner thread you're supposed to do that once a decade, and now my alarm goes off when I make bacon (overnight sous vide at 165, in a cast iron pan on the stove top for 2 minutes with a bacon press) and half the time when I sear steaks or chops or tenderloin. I already switched to grapeseed oil for a higher smoke point but searing anything is just a smoke-fest. At this point I have to either sear on the grill outside or put a cast iron pan in the oven at 500 for a while and then sear in the garage if it's raining.
I've been looking at houses recently as the wife and I want to move and like #2 on my list of "things to look for" is "serious business vent hood over the stove".
The number of houses with no vent over the stove is goddamned disgraceful.
If you have the vent over the stove that just sends it through a metal filter and then exhausts back into the kitchen, you're fucked. If you have a shitty extraction fan, you're not in great shape. You can try opening windows to help, throw a box fan in the window, etc. Not great, but it's something.
Other than that...presumably there are less sensitive smoke alarms? But when doing some serious steak frying I've almost invariably set off the damn smoke alarm unless I just sear the outside and finish it in the oven.
One solution, as inconvenient as it is, is go around and de-battery or dismount/take down your smoke detectors before you cook. Just be sure to put everything back when you're done.
Alright, cooking thread: is there some secret to searing meats to prevent setting off my smoke alarm?
I recently replaced all my smoke alarms, after learning in the homeowner thread you're supposed to do that once a decade, and now my alarm goes off when I make bacon (overnight sous vide at 165, in a cast iron pan on the stove top for 2 minutes with a bacon press) and half the time when I sear steaks or chops or tenderloin. I already switched to grapeseed oil for a higher smoke point but searing anything is just a smoke-fest. At this point I have to either sear on the grill outside or put a cast iron pan in the oven at 500 for a while and then sear in the garage if it's raining.
I've been looking at houses recently as the wife and I want to move and like #2 on my list of "things to look for" is "serious business vent hood over the stove".
The number of houses with no vent over the stove is goddamned disgraceful.
If you have the vent over the stove that just sends it through a metal filter and then exhausts back into the kitchen, you're fucked. If you have a shitty extraction fan, you're not in great shape. You can try opening windows to help, throw a box fan in the window, etc. Not great, but it's something.
Other than that...presumably there are less sensitive smoke alarms? But when doing some serious steak frying I've almost invariably set off the damn smoke alarm unless I just sear the outside and finish it in the oven.
Y'know, I don't actually know. I assumed my fan was venting to the outdoors on the basis that it's a vent fan and is on an exterior wall. I didn't know "venting back into the kitchen" was a thing. That might explain it...
I'm just doing short sears on meats. Like nothing longer than 5 minutes a side and then only for thick cuts.
PSN,Steam,Live | CptHamiltonian
0
OrcaAlso known as EspressosaurusWrexRegistered Userregular
You can also get a smoke detector with a hush button. Though reading about them they tend to merely be less irritating, and require frequent resetting (~7 minutes).
0
OrcaAlso known as EspressosaurusWrexRegistered Userregular
Alright, cooking thread: is there some secret to searing meats to prevent setting off my smoke alarm?
I recently replaced all my smoke alarms, after learning in the homeowner thread you're supposed to do that once a decade, and now my alarm goes off when I make bacon (overnight sous vide at 165, in a cast iron pan on the stove top for 2 minutes with a bacon press) and half the time when I sear steaks or chops or tenderloin. I already switched to grapeseed oil for a higher smoke point but searing anything is just a smoke-fest. At this point I have to either sear on the grill outside or put a cast iron pan in the oven at 500 for a while and then sear in the garage if it's raining.
I've been looking at houses recently as the wife and I want to move and like #2 on my list of "things to look for" is "serious business vent hood over the stove".
The number of houses with no vent over the stove is goddamned disgraceful.
If you have the vent over the stove that just sends it through a metal filter and then exhausts back into the kitchen, you're fucked. If you have a shitty extraction fan, you're not in great shape. You can try opening windows to help, throw a box fan in the window, etc. Not great, but it's something.
Other than that...presumably there are less sensitive smoke alarms? But when doing some serious steak frying I've almost invariably set off the damn smoke alarm unless I just sear the outside and finish it in the oven.
Y'know, I don't actually know. I assumed my fan was venting to the outdoors on the basis that it's a vent fan and is on an exterior wall. I didn't know "venting back into the kitchen" was a thing. That might explain it...
I'm just doing short sears on meats. Like nothing longer than 5 minutes a side and then only for thick cuts.
I stayed in an apartment with that setup once and was just like...WTF! Must have been seriously old construction.
0
AbsoluteZeroThe new film by Quentin KoopantinoRegistered Userregular
I switched to a blow torch for most my searing. Very little smoke. That probably isn't a good choice for bacon, though.
If I positively have to pan sear and smoke up the house, I put the vent hood fan at full blast (duh), open a bunch of windows, and turn on the fan on our central air. That's usually enough to keep the smoke detectors from going off.
0
webguy20I spend too much time on the InternetRegistered Userregular
Alright, cooking thread: is there some secret to searing meats to prevent setting off my smoke alarm?
I recently replaced all my smoke alarms, after learning in the homeowner thread you're supposed to do that once a decade, and now my alarm goes off when I make bacon (overnight sous vide at 165, in a cast iron pan on the stove top for 2 minutes with a bacon press) and half the time when I sear steaks or chops or tenderloin. I already switched to grapeseed oil for a higher smoke point but searing anything is just a smoke-fest. At this point I have to either sear on the grill outside or put a cast iron pan in the oven at 500 for a while and then sear in the garage if it's raining.
I've been looking at houses recently as the wife and I want to move and like #2 on my list of "things to look for" is "serious business vent hood over the stove".
The number of houses with no vent over the stove is goddamned disgraceful.
You can start the milliard reaction at just over 300f. Higher temperatures just sear faster. My tip is JUST as the oil starts to smoke, like the first wisps, throw in the meat and turn down the heat. Like I'll get the oil hot on "5" on my electric, but as soon as the steak hits the pan the stove goes down to 3. I can still sear a good steak in like 6 minutes and have it be rare. If the steak is already hitting the pan at over 100f from the sous vide then it'll sear even faster.
Also bump up to vegetable oil or bacon fat in your pan. Bacon fat will crisp up a steak amazingly well.
Alright, cooking thread: is there some secret to searing meats to prevent setting off my smoke alarm?
I recently replaced all my smoke alarms, after learning in the homeowner thread you're supposed to do that once a decade, and now my alarm goes off when I make bacon (overnight sous vide at 165, in a cast iron pan on the stove top for 2 minutes with a bacon press) and half the time when I sear steaks or chops or tenderloin. I already switched to grapeseed oil for a higher smoke point but searing anything is just a smoke-fest. At this point I have to either sear on the grill outside or put a cast iron pan in the oven at 500 for a while and then sear in the garage if it's raining.
I've been looking at houses recently as the wife and I want to move and like #2 on my list of "things to look for" is "serious business vent hood over the stove".
The number of houses with no vent over the stove is goddamned disgraceful.
Is it just the one alarm that goes off? If so, it looks like a photoelectric alarm would be less sensitive to searing meat, and so would be a better choice for near a kitchen. (Also make sure the alarm is at least 10 feet from the stove.) If you have multiple alarms going off, look at your ventilation.
0
webguy20I spend too much time on the InternetRegistered Userregular
Alright, cooking thread: is there some secret to searing meats to prevent setting off my smoke alarm?
I recently replaced all my smoke alarms, after learning in the homeowner thread you're supposed to do that once a decade, and now my alarm goes off when I make bacon (overnight sous vide at 165, in a cast iron pan on the stove top for 2 minutes with a bacon press) and half the time when I sear steaks or chops or tenderloin. I already switched to grapeseed oil for a higher smoke point but searing anything is just a smoke-fest. At this point I have to either sear on the grill outside or put a cast iron pan in the oven at 500 for a while and then sear in the garage if it's raining.
I've been looking at houses recently as the wife and I want to move and like #2 on my list of "things to look for" is "serious business vent hood over the stove".
The number of houses with no vent over the stove is goddamned disgraceful.
Is it just the one alarm that goes off? If so, it looks like a photoelectric alarm would be less sensitive to searing meat, and so would be a better choice for near a kitchen. (Also make sure the alarm is at least 10 feet from the stove.) If you have multiple alarms going off, look at your ventilation.
Also searing shouldn't really generate much smoke. It should generate a lot of steam at first as the meat hits the pan but that should dissipate before it ever gets to the detector, but smoke is burning, and we're not burning our meat.
A third option is to use mayonnaise to coat your steaks instead of putting oil in the pan. This also encourages faster browning because of the proteins in the mayonnaise itself, which means less cooking time and less smoke.
I
A third option is to use mayonnaise to coat your steaks instead of putting oil in the pan. This also encourages faster browning because of the proteins in the mayonnaise itself, which means less cooking time and less smoke.
I used to be a big proponent of the mayo method, especially after sous vide. But the more I've used it, the more I think it's a faux-crust. It looks great, has a nice texture, but is essentially flavorless. It doesn't get that same flavor that you get when you brown the sugars in the meat itself. It's just, lacking, for a better term.
+1
AbsoluteZeroThe new film by Quentin KoopantinoRegistered Userregular
Alright, cooking thread: is there some secret to searing meats to prevent setting off my smoke alarm?
I recently replaced all my smoke alarms, after learning in the homeowner thread you're supposed to do that once a decade, and now my alarm goes off when I make bacon (overnight sous vide at 165, in a cast iron pan on the stove top for 2 minutes with a bacon press) and half the time when I sear steaks or chops or tenderloin. I already switched to grapeseed oil for a higher smoke point but searing anything is just a smoke-fest. At this point I have to either sear on the grill outside or put a cast iron pan in the oven at 500 for a while and then sear in the garage if it's raining.
I've been looking at houses recently as the wife and I want to move and like #2 on my list of "things to look for" is "serious business vent hood over the stove".
The number of houses with no vent over the stove is goddamned disgraceful.
Is it just the one alarm that goes off? If so, it looks like a photoelectric alarm would be less sensitive to searing meat, and so would be a better choice for near a kitchen. (Also make sure the alarm is at least 10 feet from the stove.) If you have multiple alarms going off, look at your ventilation.
Also searing shouldn't really generate much smoke. It should generate a lot of steam at first as the meat hits the pan but that should dissipate before it ever gets to the detector, but smoke is burning, and we're not burning our meat.
Ehhhhh... depends. If I get my cast iron hot enough, the pan alone puts out a fair amount of smoke. If you didn't have good ventilation, I could see it tripping fire alarms. Also searing spiced and marinated chicken for curry always smokes up my kitchen, but there's nothing burnt in the pot or on the chicken.
The smoke is primarily the oil buildup in the cast iron, aided a bit by burning juices/bits of stuck meat/etc left in the pan between pieces when flipping or if I have more than one batch to sear. I actually usually don't have the stove top on at all when searing steaks or chops. I get the pan wicked hot in the oven, take it out, and sear 10-20 seconds on a side. Since I went to all the trouble of cooking the meat sous vide I want it on the heat for as little time as physically possible so as to keep the bulk of the meat the same internal temperature it was when I took it out of the bath. Bacon I'll have the stove top on because a full pack of sous vide bacon in my pan takes 3-4 batches to finish at 2-3 minutes per batch and it won't retain enough heat for that long.
I do have a hood vent fan. For steaks where I put one or two in the pan for a total of like 40 seconds it's sufficient, so long as I wave the smoke back, toward the intake with an oven mitt. It's stuff like searing a roast or makin' bacon that smokes up the whole house. The smoke detector is all the way at the other end of the downstairs away from the kitchen and on the ceiling, which is 10' off the floor, so I'm talking a lot of smoke. I'd open the windows but I have cats who can't be trusted. Maybe I can find a box fan that will fit in the gap so the cats can't get past it...
I've considered trying one of those torches or heat gun deals. I've got a little kitchen torch for toasting meringue and making creme brulee but it doesn't seem hot enough, somehow? I've not actually tried it on meat, though, so maybe it'd work.
Is vegetable oil or bacon grease actually a higher smoke point than grapeseed oil? I thought grapeseed was on the higher end of the available food oils scale...
*googles*
Looks like sunflower oil is 30 degrees higher, at 450F vs 420F for grapeseed. Bacon grease is 375, so I don't think that's going to help me. Especially considering bacon grease is my issue when making bacon...
I think avacado oil is listed at 500F smoke point? And, apparently, the really cheap brand I always buy at tjmaxx and the discount grocery store near me is one of the only legitimate 100% avacado oil brands.
But...how long does it take you to cook bacon the regular way instead of sous vide and sear? Regular bacon on regular heat frying only takes a few minutes, doesn't it?
Maybe ill try the bacon sous vide, see if it's worth it, but that seems like a lot of extra trouble to make bacon.
Posts
Embrace the carbs and make yorkshire puddings.
I guess i can mix ot with another oil to thin it down, though.
Make that thing as a full-sized oven and I'll be interested. Wall mounted or free standing, either one. Countertop sized? Pass.
Ain't nobody got counter space for that.
Definitely. Just give it to me in a full-sized oven.
Also, took like half the evening. I don't know if it was worth all the time, tbh. Could've cut it down if I was cooking all the stuff simultaneously, but I can only keep so much stuff going by myself without stuff ending up burnt.
Lover Jaeger schnitzel! The hunters gravy is what makes it the best choice!
Ahead of cooking a large batch of chilli, I reupped my supply of oregano. Only to find upon opening the pack that it smelled minty as oppose to the spicy lemony scent of every other pack I've bought.
My google-fu has turned up a singular website that talks about Italian vs Greek oregano, where the former has a minty flavour more suited to puddings and tea than the savoury dishes I'd hoped to make. Interestingly it mentions that growing the herb in an arid climate will lead to a more pepperminty flavour; seeing as my package is labelled as coming from Iran, than this kinda makes sense.
What's perturbing me is the lack of corroborating info on this whole mintiness lark. Everywhere else seems to talk about Italian oregano as simply being a milder flavour. Until googling around, the mint flavour was so strong I was genuinely convinced that the manufacturer had mislabelled a batch of mint.
Anyone have any insight into this?
http://steamcommunity.com/id/pablocampy
I would wait at least 6 months, per my earlier post, assuming Trump loses.
The price of chamber sealers shot up hundreds of dollars due to the Trump tariffs. VacMaster used to have one that sold for $400-$500, but they discontinued that model and their next cheaper one sells for twice that much. Unfortunately, it might not be cost effective for them to have consumer models while the tariffs are still in place.
Their are alternative companies out there, but they aren't as well known, and they're going to be just as effected by the tariffs as VacMaster.
Thanks, Trump.
Any VacMaster model in particular you would recommend if/when tariff stupidity ends?
I was aiming for the 112 before it was discontinued. In addition to being a lot cheaper, it was 50 pounds as opposed 80 pounds.
Even if I was willing to pay extra for the higher end models, the weight is kind of a deal breaker.
The melting behavior of white chocolate annoys me.
The scrubbies have a handle (which is easily removable) so you can bear down on tough spots. Combine this with my boiling water + baking soda + 2 drops of dish soap mixture and uncoated pans look new all the time.
Also on a lark this past weekend, I broke out my grandparents' old cast iron skillet to try with some eggs. Typically it's disaster to do eggs in cast iron for me, but a light spray of Pam was all I needed and they cooked up great! Seasoned cast iron always wins.
It looks like VacMaster did announce two new models in the past two months. Here's a video that compares the cheaper of the two with a competing brand:
And here's another $400 model:
I recently replaced all my smoke alarms, after learning in the homeowner thread you're supposed to do that once a decade, and now my alarm goes off when I make bacon (overnight sous vide at 165, in a cast iron pan on the stove top for 2 minutes with a bacon press) and half the time when I sear steaks or chops or tenderloin. I already switched to grapeseed oil for a higher smoke point but searing anything is just a smoke-fest. At this point I have to either sear on the grill outside or put a cast iron pan in the oven at 500 for a while and then sear in the garage if it's raining.
I've been looking at houses recently as the wife and I want to move and like #2 on my list of "things to look for" is "serious business vent hood over the stove".
The number of houses with no vent over the stove is goddamned disgraceful.
If you have the vent over the stove that just sends it through a metal filter and then exhausts back into the kitchen, you're fucked. If you have a shitty extraction fan, you're not in great shape. You can try opening windows to help, throw a box fan in the window, etc. Not great, but it's something.
Other than that...presumably there are less sensitive smoke alarms? But when doing some serious steak frying I've almost invariably set off the damn smoke alarm unless I just sear the outside and finish it in the oven.
Y'know, I don't actually know. I assumed my fan was venting to the outdoors on the basis that it's a vent fan and is on an exterior wall. I didn't know "venting back into the kitchen" was a thing. That might explain it...
I'm just doing short sears on meats. Like nothing longer than 5 minutes a side and then only for thick cuts.
I stayed in an apartment with that setup once and was just like...WTF! Must have been seriously old construction.
If I positively have to pan sear and smoke up the house, I put the vent hood fan at full blast (duh), open a bunch of windows, and turn on the fan on our central air. That's usually enough to keep the smoke detectors from going off.
You can start the milliard reaction at just over 300f. Higher temperatures just sear faster. My tip is JUST as the oil starts to smoke, like the first wisps, throw in the meat and turn down the heat. Like I'll get the oil hot on "5" on my electric, but as soon as the steak hits the pan the stove goes down to 3. I can still sear a good steak in like 6 minutes and have it be rare. If the steak is already hitting the pan at over 100f from the sous vide then it'll sear even faster.
Also bump up to vegetable oil or bacon fat in your pan. Bacon fat will crisp up a steak amazingly well.
Also do you have a vent hood at all?
Origin ID: Discgolfer27
Untappd ID: Discgolfer1981
Is it just the one alarm that goes off? If so, it looks like a photoelectric alarm would be less sensitive to searing meat, and so would be a better choice for near a kitchen. (Also make sure the alarm is at least 10 feet from the stove.) If you have multiple alarms going off, look at your ventilation.
Also searing shouldn't really generate much smoke. It should generate a lot of steam at first as the meat hits the pan but that should dissipate before it ever gets to the detector, but smoke is burning, and we're not burning our meat.
Origin ID: Discgolfer27
Untappd ID: Discgolfer1981
Another option is a heat gun:
A third option is to use mayonnaise to coat your steaks instead of putting oil in the pan. This also encourages faster browning because of the proteins in the mayonnaise itself, which means less cooking time and less smoke.
I used to be a big proponent of the mayo method, especially after sous vide. But the more I've used it, the more I think it's a faux-crust. It looks great, has a nice texture, but is essentially flavorless. It doesn't get that same flavor that you get when you brown the sugars in the meat itself. It's just, lacking, for a better term.
Ehhhhh... depends. If I get my cast iron hot enough, the pan alone puts out a fair amount of smoke. If you didn't have good ventilation, I could see it tripping fire alarms. Also searing spiced and marinated chicken for curry always smokes up my kitchen, but there's nothing burnt in the pot or on the chicken.
I do have a hood vent fan. For steaks where I put one or two in the pan for a total of like 40 seconds it's sufficient, so long as I wave the smoke back, toward the intake with an oven mitt. It's stuff like searing a roast or makin' bacon that smokes up the whole house. The smoke detector is all the way at the other end of the downstairs away from the kitchen and on the ceiling, which is 10' off the floor, so I'm talking a lot of smoke. I'd open the windows but I have cats who can't be trusted. Maybe I can find a box fan that will fit in the gap so the cats can't get past it...
I've considered trying one of those torches or heat gun deals. I've got a little kitchen torch for toasting meringue and making creme brulee but it doesn't seem hot enough, somehow? I've not actually tried it on meat, though, so maybe it'd work.
Is vegetable oil or bacon grease actually a higher smoke point than grapeseed oil? I thought grapeseed was on the higher end of the available food oils scale...
*googles*
Looks like sunflower oil is 30 degrees higher, at 450F vs 420F for grapeseed. Bacon grease is 375, so I don't think that's going to help me. Especially considering bacon grease is my issue when making bacon...
But...how long does it take you to cook bacon the regular way instead of sous vide and sear? Regular bacon on regular heat frying only takes a few minutes, doesn't it?
Maybe ill try the bacon sous vide, see if it's worth it, but that seems like a lot of extra trouble to make bacon.
SteamID: edgruberman GOG Galaxy: EdGruberman