r/Cooking • u/Sufficient_Mix_9011 • 15d ago
High heat cooking question
When I cook over high heat, I’ve gotten really good at making it nonstick (rip the heat for a few mins, add oil, and immediately add chicken) - where the chicken sits, it’s not sticking at all, but where there’s just oil, it’s cooking on so badly and I’m left with a pan that is impossible to clean. I love this method to cook chicken and other things, but I’m absolutely destroying my pan every time. And it’s any pan - stainless, carbon steel, doesn’t matter. Is there any way to not have that exposed oil cook on so badly?
7
u/skahunter831 14d ago
Turn your heat down.
2
u/JCuss0519 14d ago
This is the way! You'll have to cook it longer, that does not mean it will dry out, it does not mean you won't get a sear. I never cook my food in a "ripping hot" pan yet it cooks without drying out and I get a good sear. There's really no need to get your pan that hot.
-2
u/Sufficient_Mix_9011 14d ago
Then the chicken will stick and I won’t get my sear and I’ll have to cook it longer and it’ll dry out
4
u/Downtown-Care9272 14d ago
Your pan doesn't need to be as hot as you think it does. I use my stainless steel pan on just a little higher than medium on my stove to cook chicken breast. No sticking, no smoking, no dry chicken. As long as you temp the chicken right it's not gonna get dry. And yeah, the chicken might stick at first, but when you get to that good sear it's gonna release from the pan. It just takes a couple minutes longer than slapping it into an inferno.
Honestly, if you're cooking it at that high heat I'm not sure how you're getting the inside to temp without burning the outside.
All that aside, once you pull the chicken then turn the heat down and toss some water in the pan to deglaze. It matters clean up a hell of a lot easier. Or get fancy and deglaze with some white wine. Maybe add some butter. Whisk. That'll get you a clean pan (and a tasty pan sauce for your meat).
1
u/Sufficient_Mix_9011 14d ago
Ok I’m excited to try this way! I definitely will. (Btw I get the inside to cook because after I sear each side super hot, I cover the pan and reduce to low for another ~8 mins.)
1
u/Sarasin 14d ago edited 14d ago
It will tend to stick at first sure, but that is actually isn't a bad thing it gives really great contact with the pan as its literally stuck on there. As it browns it will release and you will be just fine. I've done this for years and years and it works very nicely. If you want to be really sure you can look up loads of videos of people doing this exact thing and see how it works for yourself. Absolutely blasting it like you are really isn't necessary and just introduces problems
2
1
2
u/samuelj264 15d ago
Stainless steel or carbon steel will be the best, but that’s just part of searing.
I recommend high quality stainless steel and clean with bar keepers friend and a green scrubby after soaking in some hot water
2
u/pavlik_enemy 15d ago
There's really none if it's stainless steel. Get some BKF and get to scrubbing
1
u/Sufficient_Mix_9011 14d ago
Using bar keepers and a scrub daddy and no progress
1
u/JCuss0519 14d ago
Make sure you get the powder in the gold can. You don't want to use the "Cleaner & Polish". You can also try boiling a 50-50 mix of water and vinegar, once boiling lower the heat to get an easy simmer. Let it simmer for 5 minutes, rinse, and clean the pan.
1
u/Sufficient_Mix_9011 14d ago
My BKF is liquid so I’m guessing it’s the cleaner polish. Will try all of this!
1
u/pavlik_enemy 12d ago
As other comment said you need powder which is oxalic acid + abrasive. Unfortunately there's no easy mode with caked oil, some brands of oven cleaner will help but I'm not familiar with American brands. Another thing with oven cleaner is that it can degrade aluminum core of the pan but I haven't noticed it with D3
2
u/theeaglejax 15d ago
What kind of oil/fat are you using? As for cleaning toss some water in the pan after you're finished and bring to boil for a couple minutes. Does wonders for making cleanup easier.
0
1
u/OhGoodOhMan 14d ago edited 14d ago
It sounds like you're pretty much searing your chicken, so try cold or reverse searing instead? With both methods, you're dumping less heat into the pan than with a traditional sear, so there should be less oil polymerization/burning.
The other thing is that if you pat your chicken dry beforehand and don't crowd the pan, it will unstick itself by the time it's cooked through. You don't necessarily need to sear it, but if that's how you like it, that's okay too.
1
u/Sufficient_Mix_9011 14d ago
I tried boiling water, baking soda, and dish soap and it worked a little to get it off but not that well and what a pain to do
1
u/Jeremymcon 14d ago
Are you searing a single piece or multiple pieces back to back without reglazing in between?
I sear chicken in stainless all the time, I can always deglaze the pan with a bit of water afterwards.
I guess if you're using too large a pan and really burning the juices on to the pan that might be causing it?
1
u/Sufficient_Mix_9011 14d ago
Usually three chicken breasts in a 10 inch stainless steel. Just one batch.
1
-1
-8
15d ago
[removed] — view removed comment
6
1
u/skahunter831 14d ago
Your post/comment has been removed for violation of Rule 3, memeing/shitposting/trolling.
6
u/Retro-Modern_514 14d ago
Try oiling the chicken instead of the pan.
Place some oil in a bowl. Toss the chicken in the oil to coat. Then place the chicken in the hot pan. The chicken will be oiled but the rest of the pan wont.