I burned a pot while trying to prepare a recipe.

[MatrixGravity]

I am a total amateur when it comes to cooking. Recently, I found a wonderful recipe and I attempted to create it at home following the instructions precisely. Here is the recipe.
I followed along with the video the entire time.

How to Cook Black Pepper and Molasses Pulled Chicken Sandwiches | MyRecipes.com

I added ALL the ingredients in a saucepan/pot.

Then I put the chicken in there, and cooked it for twenty minutes. After I removed the chicken, the bottom of my pot was all scorched and burned black, and the chicken was burned as well. What the heck did I do wrong?

Was I supposed to coat the pot with something before adding all the ingredients in? I am absolutely certain I didn't set the heat too high. I kept the heat at around low-medium. I have already managed to destroy three pots while trying to make this recipe. My parents are furious with me and I am feeling incredibly hopeless at this point.

I don't know what the hell I'm doing wrong and why this keeps happening so I am desperate for some advice from you guys.. Thank you.

 

[Hoot]

It may be that you needed to stir it more often. Do you have a gas or electric range? Sometimes a gas range will still be too hot even on medium low. Given the circumstances in your post, I am inclined to believe that there was too much heat or not enough stirring. The ketchup and molasses can burn quickly.
If the pan is not big enough, stirring might be tricky. Might need a larger pan. Personally, I would put the chicken in a baking dish, covered with foil, and bake it at 350 or so until it is nearly done. Then pour the heated sauce over the chicken and give it 15-20 minutes more in the oven.
We have all had difficulties in the kitchen here and there. Do not give up. Maybe you can strike a deal with your folks to clean the kitchen for a week to make up for the damaged pots.

 

[CWS4322]

I would also suggest using a more substantial pot. I once bought a HUGE SS stockpot. Well, it was cheap, and everything I cooked in it stuck no matter what I did. I ended up using it to dye fleece--that didn't stick or burn in it.

You could try using oven cleaner to clean the pots if they are SS--spray them, put in a garbage bag, and let sit for 24 hours.

 

[Andy M.]

1. I'd guess the pan bottom was too thin.
2. The heat was too high given the sugary ingredients
3. Follow hoot's suggestion for baking it in the oven (in a glass baking dish if possible)
4. It's your responsibility to scrub the pots clean and back to original condition.

 

[jabbur]

You might be able to adapt the recipe to a slow cooker/crock pot. I'd be tempted to make the sauce in the sauce pan up to the add the chicken step. Then pour it over the chicken in the crock pot and let it cook there. That would definitely keep it from burning. I've never adapted a recipe and it may not work but it seems like it could.

 

[Zereh]

Try putting a heat diffuser between the stove burner and your pan:

It takes awhile to get to know your stove and oven, so I'd turn the heat down. And as you stir pay attention to what's happening on the bottom of your pan. =) Don't be afraid to remove the pan from the burner if things start getting stuck, turn the heat down, then put the pan back and carry on!

 

[taxlady]

I would bring stuff to a boil, then turn it all the way down and start turning the heat up by increments until it just simmers. Stirring frequently, as others have mentioned, is important.

 

[jennyema]

1. I'd guess the pan bottom was too thin.
2. The heat was too high given the sugary ingredients
3. Follow hoot's suggestion for baking it in the oven (in a glass baking dish if possible)
4. It's your responsibility to scrub the pots clean and back to original condition.

+1

 

[GLC]

Home gas ranges are often problematic. I like gas in general, but home gas ranges have two problems. One is that it can be very difficult to get a true simmer. I know it is on mine. Even the "SIMMER" burner is too high at its lowest setting, and other burners will keep a rolling boil going on LOW. I depend on a flame tamer.

If I did not use it, I would burn or crust even rice. The other problem is that home gas ranges have very little actual flame, very few points of flame. If you look at a commercial burner,

you see lots of orifices distributed all over the burner. Bigger heat, requiring large gas piping, but it also doesn't have the hot areas of many home burners.

That's part of why you see plain, rather thin walled pans on a restaurant line, and it's why tri-ply, cast iron and other heavy pans are popular at home. The copper or aluminum layers in the bottom of tri-ply pans distribute the heat.

 

[PhilinYuma]

I agree with everything above, particularly your responsibility to clean the pan (!) but I think that the major problem lies with the video rather than your lack of cooking skills. I can't imagine anyone putting something like ketchup directly into a pan with no liquid between it and the pan and then heating it. Part of learning how to kook lies in learning how to distinguish between the good videos/recipes and the bad ones.
Cheers

 

[Oldvine]

It might be time to stop trying that recipe.

 

[salt and pepper]

You just cooked it too hot, low and slow intil the chicken is done.
The sugar in catsup, molassas, will burn at high heat. Cover and stir often, it will come out fine. Try it again.

 

[DMerry]

If you still have one of the burned pans, put 1 1/2 cups of water in the pan, add 1 tablespoon of baking soda and bring the solution to a boil. As soon as the solution is boiling, remove the pan from the heat, put a lid on the pan, set it aside for a couple of days or so, then empty the pan and use a plastic scraper like a "Dobie" to remove any of the burnt stuff you can. Repeat the process, and keep repeating it until the pan is clean. It has take me weeks to clean a burnt pan with this process but it has worked for me several times.

 

[taxlady]

If you still have one of the burned pans, put 1 1/2 cups of water in the pan, add 1 tablespoon of baking soda and bring the solution to a boil. As soon as the solution is boiling, remove the pan from the heat, put a lid on the pan, set it aside for a couple of days or so, then empty the pan and use a plastic scraper like a "Dobie" to remove any of the burnt stuff you can. Repeat the process, and keep repeating it until the pan is clean. It has take me weeks to clean a burnt pan with this process but it has worked for me several times.

If you leave the pot to simmer at VERY LOW HEAT, it will speed up the process, especially when trying to get off the last stains.

 

[sparrowgrass]

I fill burnt pans with water, add a couple tablespoons of dishwasher detergent, and simmer for a while. If the pan is not too bad, a few minutes of simmering will do it, but if I go off to play on Facebook while I am cooking, I might simmer for a longer time and let the pan sit overnight before trying to clean.

 

[Spearmint]

Hi MatrixGravity,

With all that sugar and no water, on all but the slightest of heat that tiny bit of liquid is going to caramelize, then carbonize really fast. Usually, I point to cookwear if the recipe is tested well, but here you have to get the pot away from the flame. I would sugest a double-boiler. You can always cobble one together to fit your needs if you have enough pots.

Many times the culprit is an all-steel pot. Never spend a lot of money on a stainless pot if it does not have an aluminum ply. Be especially wary of enamel cookware in these circs. I recommend commercial-grade, 100% aluminum.

 

[RPCookin]

I'm with the camp in favor of watching the pot and stirring frequently. This isn't rice - removing the lid during cooking won't hurt it. Lower heat too. A mixture like that should just barely bubble while cooking. It should NOT be boiling, just barely at a simmer.

I also like the slow cooker idea, although that would have to be planned farther ahead because it will definitely take longer to cook. I'd search for similar slow cooker recipes for an idea about cooking times.

By the way, the recipe actually sounds pretty good to me.

 

[Kayelle]

Exactly right, Spearmint

With all that sugar and no water, on all but the slightest of heat that tiny bit of liquid is going to caramelize, then carbonize really fast.

Even the most experienced cook could mess up that recipe really fast, so don't be too hard on yourself. Just because someone can make a cooking video doesn't mean much if it's flawed with ingredients and/or methods. In the world of cooking video's everybody seems to think they are an expert.

 

[CraigC]

Move to Washington or Colorado. You can burn pot all you want without getting into trouble!

 

[Somebunny]

Lol! Craig...."snicker" "snicker". Funny, but probably not that helpful ;-) besides there is an age limit :/.

I am guessing the cookware could be the problem. I would only use something quite heavy to make this recipe, as others have said that combo of ingredients will burn readily. I hesitate to mention (because of the aluminum controversy) I successfully use a heavy cast aluminum Dutch oven for recipes like this. I routinely use it for candy making and sticky things like rice Krispy treats. I will likely be retiring it now as i have purchased a porcelain coated cast iron dutch oven.
All you can do is apologize to your parents, try to clean the pan and "move on", try a different recipe, don't let this discourage you from what can be a life long hobby/passion. Keep your chin up!