Learn how to cook with Stainless Steel Cookware and avoid food sticking to the pan.
5-ply Stainless Clad is the most versatile cookware material, due to its heat control, which allows you to cook practically anything you want to perfection (well, besides scrambled eggs, you might want to use Non Stick for that). But whether you're searing, sautéing, boiling, braising, or reducing, Stainless Clad can get the job done to perfection. It’s why it continues to be a mainstay in restaurants all around the world.
And yet, there are many things about cooking with Stainless Clad that can be daunting, like food sticking or burning. However, if you use the right technique, all of that is easily avoidable. Check out this video or follow along below.
Before your pan even touches the heat source, you want to make sure that the ingredients you will be cooking with are at room temperature or as close to as room temperature as possible. When cold food touches a hot pan, it has the tendency to stick. Plus, cooking proteins when they are at room temperature helps ensure the protein cooks evenly throughout.
Whether it’s a Frying Pan for searing, Saucepan for sautéing, or Stock Pot for braising, preheating your pans is essential. Since Stainless Clad’s metal composition, which consists of an aluminum core, ensures perfect heat conduction you only need to preheat your pan over medium-low heat to start. You can lower or raise the heat as you continue to cook, but starting to heat the pan on low to medium is best.
Over medium-low heat, allow your Stainless Clad Pan to preheat for 1 to 2 minutes. The best way to tell if your pan is ready for oil is to add a small drop of water to the pan. If your pan is at the proper temperature, the droplet will stay intact and move around the pan like a marble spinning on a plate. If your pan is too cold, it’ll bubble and evaporate quickly. If your pan is too hot, it’ll fracture into smaller droplets and dart around the pan very fast.
Once your pan is at the perfect temperature, it’s time to add your cooking oil to the pan. The oil will need to come to temperature, which will take about 1-2 minutes. You will know when your oil is ready when it glistens or shimmers, and starts to ripple across the surface. If your oil starts to smoke, the pan is too hot, and you should turn down the temperature. We recommend avoiding cooking spray, as that can cake onto the surface of your pan.
Whether you’re cooking with proteins or vegetables, make sure they are at room temperature (or as close as they can be), and make sure they’re dry (as the recipe requires) to prevent sticking. Cold food or any moisture that is leftover on your ingredients will get in the way of achieving a Maillard reaction, the browning of crusts.
If you’ve followed all the steps above, your food will tell you when it’s time to be flipped. A crust will form on your proteins, which will naturally release itself from the pan, making it extremely easy to flip. For vegetables, you’ll be able to perfectly sauté them, whether you're sweating down carrots and celery or caramelizing onions.
Concern over food sticking can be a hang up when it comes to using Stainless Clad Cookware. If you're concerned about making a mess, follow these steps below. Remember that if some food sticks, it can usually be cleaned relatively easily with one of these methods
There's a reason Stainless Clad is so beloved the restaurant industry. Whether you're sautéing vegetables, searing a steak, or even making stock, it's the right material for the job. Now that you know how to cook with Stainless Clad, check out our full line of Stainless Clad Pots and Pans and Cookware Sets.
Born out of a 100-year old, family-owned restaurant supply business, we work to ensure our Cookware is as detail oriented as the chefs who choose to use it in their kitchens.
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