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question re using breadcrumbs/panko coating when sauteing protein


eugenep

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Hoping to explain the problem clearly. 

 

A standard recipe would call for a dusting of pork chop/chicken etc. in a coat of flour, egg whites, then panko/bread crumbs and then pan fry 

 

I would add oil to the pan and then the breaded protein. 

 

The breaded protein browns nicely on one side before I flip it 

 

Problem - it looks like the first side absorbed all the pan oil. The second side doesn't brown and remains white panko crumbs. 

 

I'm assuming it should brown like toast even without oil but it doesn't brown and remains white 

 

To get it to brown I have to add another coating of oil to the pan so that the panko absorbs it 

 

Question: shouldn't it brown without a layer of oil like how toast browns? 

 

Like...I wonder if moisture from the protein is dropping the temperature to 212F and you can't get above the boiling point of water  

 

That's why a layer of oil needs to be added to raise it above the 212F level for the breaded coating to brown 

 

You think that's right or do you see the problem I'm talking about? 

 

thanks 

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I haven't had the issue of Side 1 soaking up all the oil. Perhaps I use more oil than you do. When frying like that, I always use medium high to high heat, and then take up on a paper towel covered rack to soak up any excess and avoid greasiness.

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Your oil should not be absorbed into the bread coating. Before you add your protein to the fry pan, toss in a few Panko crumbs to see if they sizzle. If the crumbs do not sizzle, the oil is not hot enough. When the crumbs sizzle, add your protein and when browned, flip and brown the second side. Most of the oil should still be in the pan. Hope this helps.

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okay thanks - I'll try both methods next time 

 

I use only a thin film of oil - like a coating for pan frying steak - maybe more oil and wait for it to get hot enough to hear the bread crumb sizzle 

 

Hmmmm...like I'm using that overpriced burner, Control Freak, and it read 385F so it should be hot enough (deep fry temperature) 

 

Maybe something wrong with the burner and it's not heating evenly so it reads 385F but it's only in one small space? I'll double check 

 

But I did wonder why I needed oil to get the breaded coating to brown. 

 

The oil can rise to 375F or higher and once spreaded on food, it will heat the food more evenly but it wasn't browning without the oil (even though it should) 

 

I thought it was water from the pork chop creating steam or something that is preventing the panko crumbs to brown and that's why it needs a layer of oil 

 

In ATK's schnitzel recipe, they have you dip the breaded pork chop in oil (deep fry) so I wonder if the breading needs a layer of oil??  

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When pan frying, I add at least enough oil to the pan to come half way up the height of the protein.

 

PS: After coating the protein in the bread crumbs, I let it rest in the fridge for 30 minutes or so, to help the breading stick to the meat during cooking.

Edited by robirdstx (log)
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2 hours ago, eugenep said:

 

 

I use only a thin film of oil - like a coating for pan frying steak - maybe more oil and wait for it to get hot enough to hear the bread crumb sizzle 

 

 

 

The breaded meat should have oil halfway up its side as @robirdstx said. That does result in some greasy breading since the crumbs are dry and won't exclude the oil like a wet french fry will.

 

I wonder if an air fryer technique could be modified to low oil cooking of breaded meats....you could pre-brown the crumbs by toasting in a dry pan and then coat the meat and then pan cook/roast with a light film of oil. It'll be inefficient cooking since the meat won't be touching the pan, only the crumbs will be, but it won't be an oily coating.

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thanks @gfweb and @robirdstx   

 

I think I'll try both techniques. The pre-browning of the bread crumbs is actually pretty impressive. I could potentially get a really good browned crumb while cooking the easy-to dry out pork chop at a low temperature 

 

I think I didn't have the guts to put a larger amount of oil on and just treated it like frying a steak a normal sauté - didn't know about the quantity of oil needed 

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I've actually used the pre-browned crumbs off and on over the years, and demonstrated it in cooking classes. It works well for things that are thin and would overcook if fried or roasted until the crumbs were properly golden.

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"Not knowing the scope of your own ignorance is part of the human condition...The first rule of the Dunning-Kruger club is you don’t know you’re a member of the Dunning-Kruger club.” - psychologist David Dunning

 

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I usually go in a different direction.  When I finish dusting with bread crumbs, I spray the top with a canned oil spray ,  like PAM, and then put that side down in a preheated pan, and while that side is browning, I spray the other side, then flip.  It requires much less oil than oiling the pan, and still works well to brown the crumbs on both sides.  It works best for smooth flat proteins, like boneless skinless chicken breasts, and would probably not work well for things like fried chicken

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Over on Serious Eats, here is what they do for their Schnitzel bread and frying:

 

 "What I've settled on is decent-quality white bread (something I almost always have on-hand), which I toast to a medium-golden brown, and then grind in a food processor into medium-fine crumbs.

 

 I fill a 12-inch cast iron skillet with about 2 cups of canola or peanut oil, both of which have a neutral flavor and can withstand high heat. Plus, the shallow oil means the schnitzel comes in direct contact with the bottom of the pan, which browns the breadcrumbs faster and helps ensure that the thin chicken cutlet and coating are done at the same time.

Contact with the pan, though, can be a bit of a curse as well: Since the slightly uneven surface of the chicken may not touch the bottom of the pan evenly, some portions of the schnitzel can brown faster than others. To combat uneven browning, I regularly look under the cutlet and flip it every time I notice the breading browning too much or too fast. This means it's not just one flip halfway through cooking, but multiple flips based on appearance. 

I fry the chicken in 375°F oil until it reaches a deep golden brown. At this cooking temperature, I've never had the chicken come out undercooked once the coating is properly browned, but if you're a stickler for temperature, you can test the doneness using an instant-read thermometer, which should register between 150 and 160°F when inserted into the middle of the meat."

 

 

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On 5/9/2019 at 10:45 PM, Okanagancook said:

canola or peanut oil, both of which have a neutral flavor

 

Am I the only person who can definitely taste peanut oil? I don't find it neutral at all, although I read this all the time.

Anyway, for what it's worth,  I use panko a lot and never have the issue @eugenep describes. I'm going with the not enough oil and too low temp theory.

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19 minutes ago, liuzhou said:

 

Am I the only person who can definitely taste peanut oil? I don't find it neutral at all, although I read this all the time.

Anyway, for what it's worth,  I use panko a lot and never have the issue @eugenep describes. I'm going with the not enough oil and too low temp theory.

 

I don't know about anywhere else, but Canadian brands of peanut oil are flavorless.  However, I buy a peanut oil at an Asian store which comes from Taiwan and it is very peanuty.

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48 minutes ago, ElsieD said:

 

I don't know about anywhere else, but Canadian brands of peanut oil are flavorless.  However, I buy a peanut oil at an Asian store which comes from Taiwan and it is very peanuty.

I think it comes down to how refined the oil is.

 

On allergy-related sites I've seen some discussion of people with allergies safely using highly-refined peanut oils, but usually that's accompanied by a caution that this is risky behavior.

“Who loves a garden, loves a greenhouse too.” - William Cowper, The Task, Book Three

 

"Not knowing the scope of your own ignorance is part of the human condition...The first rule of the Dunning-Kruger club is you don’t know you’re a member of the Dunning-Kruger club.” - psychologist David Dunning

 

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  • 4 weeks later...
On 5/10/2019 at 8:01 AM, liuzhou said:

 

Am I the only person who can definitely taste peanut oil? I don't find it neutral at all, although I read this all the time.

Anyway, for what it's worth,  I use panko a lot and never have the issue @eugenep describes. I'm going with the not enough oil and too low temp theory.

Agree on peanut oil taste, agree on using enough oil, agree on hot oil.

eGullet member #80.

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