Fats such as butter, oil, or bacon fat are used to coat the food and prevent it from sticking to the pan, aid in browning, and add flavor. Once
the pan is hot, add the fat, and swirl to coat the bottom of the pan. Heat the fat for 10 to 30 seconds―until oil shimmers or butter's foam
subsides―and then add the food.
In general, use fats that have a high
smoke point―peanut oil, regular olive oil, canola oil, or rendered pork fat. Once the fat begins to
smoke, the flavor changes and can affect the food's taste. Butter adds great flavor, but it may burn, so you will either need to clarify it to
remove the milk solids (which are prone to burning) or combine it with oil so there's less chance of burning. Oils that have low smoke
points, like extra virgin olive oil and many nut and infused oils, lose their characteristic taste when heated to sautéing's high temperatures.
It's OK to sauté with these oils―just remember that their flavor will not be as pungent.
It's crucial that only one layer of food cooks in the pan at a time. When sautéing cuts of meat, there should be at least a half-inch between
each piece. Food releases steam when cooking. If that steam doesn't have enough room to escape, it stays in the pan, and the food ends
up steaming rather than sautéing and won't brown. If you've ever tried to sauté a large amount of cubed beef for a stew, you may have
experienced this problem. The solution is simply to sauté the food in smaller batches.
When sautéing tender vegetables and bite-sized pieces of meat, stir frequently (but not constantly) to promote even browning and cooking.
Dense vegetables such as cubed potatoes, though, should be stirred once every few minutes so that they don't fall apart as they grow
tender. Portion-sized cuts of meat (chicken breasts, steaks, or pork medallions, for example) should only be turned once so they have
enough time to form a nice crust, which will also keep the meat from sticking to the pan.
Stir-frying and sautéing are techniques that share some similarities. Both methods cook food quickly in a small amount of fat. But stir-frying
cooks food over intensely high heat, stirring constantly. Sautéing involves only moderately high heat, and the food is not in continuous
motion.
Care and Cleaning
In order to obtain the maximum benefits from your
Shaffer-Berry
cookware under the most vigorous everyday use, the following guidelines
are recommended. Always handle with care.
Not recommended for the dishwasher. Hand wash only.
Wash your cookware after use in hot soapy water with a mild detergent. Hand wash is recommended. Dry thoroughly.
Warning!
Do not wash your cookware with harsh detergents or cleaners like steel wool or scouring pads. These harsh cleaning efforts can
severely damage the cooking surface
Warning!
Don’t use metal utensils, scrapers and abrasive materials to remove hard to remove food. Soak before washing if needed.
