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Steel-cut Oats


lmarshal1

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I kept hearing about the great taste of steel-cut oats...supposedly better than old-fashioned oats. I bought a box, didn't read the instructions till I got them out to fix for the first time, and discovered the 35-minute cook time. Ooops! Not enough time in the morning around here. So...I found a recipe for slow-cooking them overnight. Quite tasty, nice and creamy, with chopped apples, brown sugar, and nuts. And...ready in the morning. Now, I'd like to know how else to use them--other than for breakfast--and I knew someone here would know! Thanks. LKM

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I kept hearing about the great taste of steel-cut oats...supposedly better than old-fashioned oats. I bought a box, didn't read the instructions till I got them out to fix for the first time, and discovered the 35-minute cook time. Ooops! Not enough time in the morning around here. So...I found a recipe for slow-cooking them overnight. Quite tasty, nice and creamy, with chopped apples, brown sugar, and nuts. And...ready in the morning. Now, I'd like to know how else to use them--other than for breakfast--and I knew someone here would know! Thanks. LKM

Funny you should post this topic. As we speak I am eating a bowl of steel-cut oats. My normal method to prepare is to bring two cups of water to boil with 1/4 tbs salt, add 1/2 cup of cut oats - remove from burner - reduce electric stove burner to #2 cover and place back on burner for 30 minutes, let rest 5 minutes and serve with cream, chopped dates, nuts etc.

For quick method. Night before bring water to boil with salt - add oats off burner and set aside. Next morning - re-heat and the oats are ready quickly.

Now to your post - use cut oats as you would brown rice or other starch. Great stuff and so good for you.

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Oats work just as well savory as sweet, in my opinion. You can treat them sort of like risotto or grits. Cook in chicken broth instead of water; add cheese, onions/garlic, etc. There are actually a lot of "oats risotto" recipes out there; just Google around and see what looks good to you.

Nikki Hershberger

An oyster met an oyster

And they were oysters two.

Two oysters met two oysters

And they were oysters too.

Four oysters met a pint of milk

And they were oyster stew.

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Oats work just as well savory as sweet, in my opinion. You can treat them sort of like risotto or grits. Cook in chicken broth instead of water; add cheese, onions/garlic, etc. There are actually a lot of "oats risotto" recipes out there; just Google around and see what looks good to you.

ooh! i like the chicken broth substitution!

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Thank you all for replies. I especially like the idea of using broth as if I were using brown rice for a risotto-type dish. Perhaps adding chopped onion, bell peppers, celery, ground pepper? Sounds pretty tasty. Thanks again for replies. lkm

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Interesting topic. I have been eating steel-cut oats as oatmeal for about 30 years, but it never occurred to me to use chicken broth or to treat them like risotto.

Any more ideas or favorite recipes members have tried?

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I also prepare steel-cut oats as a savory dish, often mixed (after cooking) with beans, which results in a complete protein.

This mixture can be "flavored" with other vegetables - most often with onions and garlic and I use dried chopped onions and garlic.

This morning I prepared some (cooked in half chicken broth and half coconut milk) that included "boiled" bacon. That is, bacon that is cut into largish pieces, placed in a skillet and as soon as it begins to sizzle, a cup or so of boiling water is added and when the water is just about gone, the bacon is done. Prepared in this way it remains soft but is fully cooked and retains all its flavor.

Today's combo is going to be further enhanced with frozen green beans and a can of chopped green chiles.

"There are, it has been said, two types of people in the world. There are those who say: this glass is half full. And then there are those who say: this glass is half empty. The world belongs, however, to those who can look at the glass and say: What's up with this glass? Excuse me? Excuse me? This is my glass? I don't think so. My glass was full! And it was a bigger glass!" Terry Pratchett

 

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You could also try oatcakes - various recipes on the net. This one is typical. I have a book on Scottish food here that gives the ingredients as only oatmeal, beef dripping and some water. Think of them as a heavier substitute for crackers - they're very good with cheese.

I also prepare steel-cut oats as a savory dish, often mixed (after cooking) with beans, which results in a complete protein.

andiesenji, does that also include some dairy, or are oats sufficiently more complete than wheat that it's not necessary ?

Flapjacks are a good sweet way to use up oatmeal. I'm not sure how they work with steel-cut oats, which I think are the same as what's called pinhead oatmeal. They're even a good reason to buy oatmeal in the first place.

QUIET!  People are trying to pontificate.

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You could also try oatcakes - various recipes on the net. This one is typical. I have a book on Scottish food here that gives the ingredients as only oatmeal, beef dripping and some water. Think of them as a heavier substitute for crackers - they're very good with cheese.

I also prepare steel-cut oats as a savory dish, often mixed (after cooking) with beans, which results in a complete protein.

andiesenji, does that also include some dairy, or are oats sufficiently more complete than wheat that it's not necessary ?

Flapjacks are a good sweet way to use up oatmeal. I'm not sure how they work with steel-cut oats, which I think are the same as what's called pinhead oatmeal. They're even a good reason to buy oatmeal in the first place.

No dairy is included. I prepare oatcakes too but nothing like the traditional Scottish ones.

Mine are more like thick patties, made with an egg (or two) mixed into the savory oatmeal/grain/bean mixture, then with a small amount of ground rolled oats as a binder.

I first fry them in a very small amount of fat (bacon dripping is the preferred stuff) then transfer them to a wire rack over a sheet pan and finish them in the oven.

They can be eaten out of hand (with a paper napkin to protect against the small amount of grease on the surface, or on a plate with a fork and anointed with gravy of some kind.

With a side salad, these make a filling meal, tasty and cheap.

When my kids were still at home they loved them, as they could doctor them as they wished - my stepson liked them with a slab of cheese melted over the top.

"There are, it has been said, two types of people in the world. There are those who say: this glass is half full. And then there are those who say: this glass is half empty. The world belongs, however, to those who can look at the glass and say: What's up with this glass? Excuse me? Excuse me? This is my glass? I don't think so. My glass was full! And it was a bigger glass!" Terry Pratchett

 

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