I'm still a beginner cook. I've been cooking for my family and when grilling steak and, what I made tonight, salmon. I noticed that there is a point in which things get really smokey. Sometimes, I have to open all the windows and doors. Is it because the cooking oil I used has reached it's smoking point? Should I lower the heat at this point?
Smokey Skillet
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Callisto in NC
Washing Up
What oil are you using? That's nearly always the issue. You need to use an oil with a high smoke point and lower your temp on your pan. It's also about the pan. What kind of pan are you using?
GB
Chief Eating Officer
Cooking steaks inside on a pan will create a ton of smoke. If it doesn't then you are not doing it right 
I would use an oil with a higher smoke point than olive oil, but even so it is going to smoke. You don't want to turn your heat down because you want that high heat to get that great crust.
I would use an oil with a higher smoke point than olive oil, but even so it is going to smoke. You don't want to turn your heat down because you want that high heat to get that great crust.
Callisto in NC
Washing Up
Olive Oil has a low smoke point. There are many more oils that have a higher smoke point. I would definitely use canola over olive oil for cooking anything that need high heat.
Billdolfski
Senior Cook
Cooking steaks inside on a pan will create a ton of smoke. If it doesn't then you are not doing it right
I would use an oil with a higher smoke point than olive oil, but even so it is going to smoke. You don't want to turn your heat down because you want that high heat to get that great crust.
I endorse everything in this post.
Different grades of Olive Oil have different smoke points - something like refined OO labeled Pure or 100% or Lite or Extra Light has a smoke point equal to or higher than Canola or Peanut. EVOO, on the other hand, does have a lower smoke point. I really hate how people under evaluate the thermal qualities of all grades of OO based on EVOO ....
I have to agree with GB - depends on how you are doing it and what you are doing. When I make blackened redfish, or catfish - I get my CI skillet blazing hot - no oil is NOT going to smoke - and if done indoors you have to remove the batteries from the smoke detectors, open the windows and doors, and crank the fans up to max exhaust mode!
I have to agree with GB - depends on how you are doing it and what you are doing. When I make blackened redfish, or catfish - I get my CI skillet blazing hot - no oil is NOT going to smoke - and if done indoors you have to remove the batteries from the smoke detectors, open the windows and doors, and crank the fans up to max exhaust mode!
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Odd ball here My dad loved steaks, he would take a cast iron skillet, heat it til it was red hot, sprinkle salt in the bottom then add his steak...let one side start to brown, turn 5 min later,remove from pan and eat. He never used oil or butter..Just salt
kadesma
My dad loved steaks, he would take a cast iron skillet, heat it til it was red hot, sprinkle salt in the bottom then add his steak...let one side start to brown, turn 5 min later,remove from pan and eat. He never used oil or butter..Just saltkadesma
Callisto in NC
Washing Up
Sounds perfect to me. I don't recall seeing my father use oil when he cooked in the CI. I figure you don't add oil for ground beef, why add it for steak.Odd ball here
kadesma
msmofet
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i also agree with the replies and the grades of blened olive oils that have a high smoke point. if you can invest in a cast iron grill pan they work wonderful after seaoning without any oil. you get the nice crust and grill marks.
Callisto in NC
Washing Up
I'm going to respectfully disagree about buying a grill pan. Check out this thread. A good amount of people find the grill pans useless for anything other than adding nice marks to the meat.
msmofet
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ok well i should have said i have the reversible grill/griddle pan and i like it.
btw there is nothing wrong with disagreeing. everyone is entitled to their opinion.
Callisto in NC
Washing Up
Agree. I hated the reversable grill and it wasn't worth the cost. It took so long to cook steaks, twice as long as the bbq or my George Forman. Just thought I'd let the op and others see both sides of the thought process on the grill pans.
msmofet
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very good thing!!
Nothing odd about the salt thing Kadesma - my grandmothers did that, and so did my Mom! They also did that with pork chops ... but that was back in the days when pork chops had a nice amount of fat on them.
I think a lot of our parents and grandparents used methods they learned from family..I find I still make steaks and my dad's famos hamburgers the same as he did..Just can't let go of some things
kades
