Cooking the perfect steak is an art. But you need more than just the skill to cook a steak with a beautiful sear. You need the right ingredients and the right equipment.
For example, using the right cooking oil is imperative to prevent your steak from burning or developing a smokey, burnt taste during the cooking process. There are a wide range of possibilities when it comes to cooking oil. You may even have heard of MCT oil before.
So you may be wondering if you can cook a steak with MCT oil.
MCT oil is a supplement derived from other types of oil such as coconut oil and palm kernel oil. It does not have a sufficiently high enough smoke point in order to be used as a cooking oil as the smoke point of MCT oil is 320 °F and the highest temperature at which a half an inch steak should be cooked is 400 °F to 450 °F. However, it can be used to cook at low to medium cooking temperatures such as sauteing meat.
Cooking, searing, pan frying, grilling steak with MCT oil, yes or no?
According to Naturalforce.com, MCT oil has a smoke point of 320 °F, which is even lower than truffle oil smoking point.
This means that MCT will most certainly not be able to hold up to the high temperatures required in order to cook a steak, either on the grill, stovetop, in a skillet, cast iron pan, or in the oven. Using these cooking techniques may require the chef to use temperatures from 400 °F and upward. These temperatures are far above the smoke point of MCT oil. With that being said, if you want to know which one does and is best oil for cooking steak, click here.
The oil can, however, be used in low to medium heat cooking as it will be able to hold up to the heat without smoking or burning.
It needs to be noted as well, that according to Insider.com, MCT oils are digested differently to other more commonly used fats that contain more long-chain triglycerides (LCT). Therefore, consuming large quantities or too much MCT oil over time, may result in gastrointestinal stress.
Can you grill steak with MCT oil
No. As previously mentioned, MCT oil will not be able to hold up to the high temperatures used to grill meat with. It is better to consider a cooking oil with a higher smoke point.
Can you saute meat with MCT oil
Absolutely. MCT oil is great for low to median heat cooking. Sauteing vegetables and meat with MCT oil actually offers a lot of health benefits. However, there are also some disadvantages when consuming excessively high amounts of this oil. It is therefore not recommended to use this oil or cooking on a daily basis.
Can you roast meat with MCT oil
Provided that you are able to roast the meat at temperatures below 320 °F, it may be better to utilize a cooking oil that is made for high-heated cooking.
How to cook with MCT oil
According to Wellversed.com, MCT oil can be used in a variety of cooking methods. These may include using oil as an ingredient in salad dressing or sauteing vegetables and meat at low to medium temperatures.
In addition, oil may be added to smoothies and juices as a supplement or drizzled over a prepared meal to add rich, aromatic flavors to the food.
However, it is highly recommended to avoid using this oil to broil, pan sear, deep fry, or BBQ meat with.
What is MCT oil and what is MCT oil made of
MCT oil is a supplement. This oil is made from medium-chain triglyceride (MCT) which is a type of fat. The molecules found in MCT oil are shorter than the molecules found in long-chain triglycerides (LCT), which makes this type of fat much easier to absorb.
Long-chain triglycerides (LCT) are found in most of the fat we normally eat.
MCT oil is normally made from coconut or palm kernel oil through a process called fractionation which removes the oil from the original oil and concentrates it. In addition, MCT oil is available as a 100% pure oil or a mixture of MCT and LCT.
There is an important point to make about the flavor of MCT oil. This oil may be derived from unadulterated natural coconut oil, but it is flavorless. It does not impart any flavor to food when used as a cooking oil.
What is MCT oil used for
MCT oil has gained popularity as a supplement due to its ability to induce thermogenesis and reduce appetite while increasing energy. This was proven through a 2009 study which confirmed that foods high in MCT enabled athletes to perform high intensity workouts for longer periods of time. For the most part, this oil is used for:
- Inflammation
- Extra energy
- Weight loss
- Appetite control
- Inability/difficulty taking in nutrients
Is it safe to cook with MCT oil
According to Medical News Today, MCT oil is not a natural product and is produced from the oils of other products.
In addition to this, MCT oil has a very low smoke point in relation to other types of cooking oil such as other types of cooking oils that have a much higher smoke point and which may be more suited to high temperature cooking.
It is therefore not recommended for use in certain types of high-heat cooking. Though it can most certainly be used in low-heat cooking such as sauteing.
