Of course! Stainless steel pan for frying food is very useful after mastering the technique, and can fry perfect food that is crispy, crispy, and not easy to stick to the pan. The core secret lies in “hot pot, cold oil“.

Below is a detailed breakdown of the steps and principles, which even beginners in the kitchen can easily master.

Core principle: Why do stainless steel pots stick?

The stainless steel pot wall is not completely smooth and has fine pores. Proteins in food shrink when exposed to heat and become embedded in these pores, leading to sticking to the pot.
“Hot pot and cold oil” means that the pot is first heated and expanded, the fine pores are closed, and then the surface is filled with oil to form a protective layer, making the food less likely to adhere.

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Perfect frying steps (taking frying steak, chicken breast or fish fillet as an example)

Step 1: Preparation

1. Food reheating: Remove the meat to be fried from the refrigerator and let it sit at room temperature for 15-30 minutes. Avoid putting cold meat directly into the pot, which may cause a large temperature difference and result in the exterior being burnt and the interior not yet cooked.
2. Wipe the surface dry: This is a crucial step! Use kitchen paper to thoroughly pat off the moisture on the surface of the food. Moisture is the culprit behind sticking pans and oil explosions.
3. Preheating cookware: Heat an empty pot over medium to high heat. Do not add oil.

Step 2: The Water Test

• The pot needs to be hot enough to achieve a non stick effect. Testing method:
• Feel the obvious heat rising above the pot with your hands.
• Drip a few drops of water into the pot. If the water droplets roll on the surface of the pot like pearls instead of evaporating immediately, it indicates that the temperature has reached. This is the so-called Leidenfrost effect , where the temperature is approximately above 190 ° C.
• After seeing this phenomenon, wipe the water droplets dry and immediately proceed to the next step.

Step 3: Hot Pan, Cold Oil

1. Pour in enough cooking oil (such as sunflower seed oil, rapeseed oil, refined olive oil, and other high smoke point oils).
2. Gently shake the pot to evenly cover the bottom with oil.
3. After the oil is heated (slight flowing patterns may appear), immediately add the food.

Step 4: Don’t Move It

1. “Do not immediately flip over!” This is the second key point. It is normal for food to stick to the pot when it is first cooked. After waiting for the Maillard reaction (coking reaction) to occur on its surface, forming a brittle shell, it will naturally detach from the bottom of the pot.
2. According to the thickness, generally fry over medium high heat for 1.5-3 minutes. You can gently push the food with a clamp. If it can move easily, it means it can be flipped over. If you can’t push it, it means it’s not time yet. Please be patient and wait a little longer.

Step 5: Flip and Finish

1. After flipping, you can reduce the heat to medium low and continue frying the other side according to the desired degree of maturity.

2. After frying, immediately remove from the pot and place on a shelf or plate to “rest” for a few minutes to allow the meat juice to redistribute.

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Key tips for different foods

• “Fried fish” : Fish skin is very easy to stick. In addition to drying, you can gently pat a thin layer of starch on the surface of the fish skin and then put it in the pot, which can greatly improve the integrity of the fish skin.
• “Frying eggs” : More oil is needed, and it is best to use low heat to fry slowly.
• “Fried Tofu” : Tofu must be dehydrated with a heavy object first, and then thoroughly dried. Don’t rush to flip it when frying.
• “Stir fry” : It is also necessary to first “heat the pot and cool the oil”, then add the ingredients and stir fry quickly.

Frequently Asked Questions and Solutions (Q&A)

Q: What if the pot has already stuck?
A: Do not forcefully shovel, immediately turn off or leave the fire. Let the pot cool down, the food may be released. If it doesn’t work, add some hot water (be careful not to splash) and use the process of steam and deglacing (concentrated flavor release at the bottom of the pot) to easily scoop it up. This is also the foundation for making sauces.
Q: What oil should be used?
A: High smoke point neutral oils are preferred, such as sunflower seed oil, grape seed oil, refined avocado oil, and rapeseed oil. Extra virgin olives have a lower oil fume point and are suitable for cooking at medium to low temperatures.
Q: Why am I still a bit sticky after following the steps?
A:The most common reason is that the pot is not hot enough or the surface of the food is not dry enough. Please ensure that the water droplets fall in a rolling state and that the surface of the food feels dry to the touch.
Q: How to clean stainless steel pots?
A: After sticking the bottom, do not use a steel wire ball to brush hard. Soak in water first, heat and boil in water to soften the burnt particles, then clean with a sponge or soft brush. For stubborn stains, soaking in baking soda and white vinegar is very effective.

Summary points (remember these three points!)

1. The pot should be hot ->use the water droplet test method.
2. Food should be dry ->Kitchen paper is the best helper.
3. Don’t flip the pot too quickly ->Wait for it to release its signal on its own.
   Once you master these, your stainless steel pot will become better to use than a regular non stick pan because it can fry perfect food with richer flavor and more beautiful color! Wishing you a pleasant cooking experience!