TSG Tip of the Month

Basic Sauté

If you want to learn how to make food fast, this is the number one technique you can master. To sauté basically means to cook food quickly in a small amount of fat over medium to high heat. When sautéing, it is important not to use too much fat as the food goes from being sautéed to being fried.

Foods that are sautéed must be tender, thin, and portion or bite-sized. Many types of meat, poultry, fish and shellfish are appropriate for sautéing. To prepare thick or dense meats for sautéing, simply slice them thinly before cooking for bite-sized pieces or pound them thin (with a meat mallet or back side of a frying pan) for portion sized pieces.

Vegetables, fruits, precooked grains, pasta, beans and other legumes are also candidates for sautéing. Thin, tender items like snow peas, apples and mushrooms may go right into the sauté pan. Thicker, more dense items such as carrots and broccoli should be par-boiled before sautéing.

Oil or Butter?

It’s up to you. There are benefits to both and it comes down to a matter of preference. Butter browns nicely, helps to create a great crust and provides a warm, delicious flavor, but is high in saturated fats. TSG oils and olive oil have better healthy fat ratios and also provide wonderful flavor and crust. Experiment and decide which one is best for you.

How Much Fat do I use?

As a rule of thumb, for 1-2 pounds of thinly sliced or pounded meat, poultry or game, use 1-2 Tablespoons of fat. For 1-2 pounds of delicate fish, shellfish or vegetables use ½ to 1 Tablespoon of fat.

Basic Technique

First and foremost, it’s important to preheat your pan. Why? Pans have hot spots and if you add butter or oil to a pan that’s not heated, part of the product will burn before the middle heats up or melts. So, put your pan on low and heat it up until it reaches 180 degrees. When the pan is heated to the right temperature, the butter will stop frothing and turn a light, golden brown.

Add your ingredients to the pan and let them sit so they turn golden brown. For meats, this is usually 3 minutes, for fish & shellfish (except thick scallops) this about 2 minutes. After this time, flip them over in the pan and repeat the process, using a spatula or tongs. DO NOT USE A FORK as it pierces the meat and releases all the juices. Of course, the cooking time will vary depending on what you are making. Serve immediately, or transfer to a warm spot if you’re going to deglaze the pan to make a sauce.

Deglazing the pan

One of the easy ways to make a sauce for sautéed meats is to deglaze the pan. Sounds extravagant, but it isn’t. There’s an added benefit: you’ll have a pan so clean, one wipe of the sponge and you’re done! Here’s how to do it: Cook the meat in the sauté pan as above. Don’t worry about burnt bits and pieces that get stuck in the pan. In fact, you really want them because they are loaded with flavor. You can do this by using a hot pan, or by using a small quantity of oil. When the meat is done, put it on a platter in the oven at low heat (200°F). If there is a lot of fat in the pan, remove all but a Tablespoon or two. Reduce the heat to medium. Add 1 teaspoon of seasoning (Viva Italiano, Garlic Gusto and Citrus Dill work very well.) Now, turn the heat to high and add about ¼ cup of white wine (red works, too). You can also add a little bouillon (powdered) or stock to make it a little heartier Use a wooden spoon to scrape up all the stuff up from the bottom of the pan and let it dissolve in the wine. The liquids will reduce fairly quickly. Boil until the sauce begins to thicken, take the meat out of the oven, pour the sauce over it and serve.

A WORD OF CAUTION: Be careful; if you do this too often, you will get the reputation of being a good cook!