BBQ Tip: Which Oil To Use When Grilling

One of the great aspects of being involved in writing about BBQ is that I get to meet lots of people.  Most of which know a great deal more than I do about outdoor cooking.  One of the people I have had the privilege of getting to know is Barry “CB” Martin.  Barry is responsible for the  outstanding Char-Broil website “Sizzle On The Grill.” Barry likes to pretend he knows very little about cooking but he’s really quite knowledgeable and more importantly Barry is willing to share that knowledge.

Recently while attending Memphis in May I got a chance to see Barry in action.  His take on the use of “oils” in grilling is educational and a little different than what I’ve always thought was the norm.  With his permission I have republished his extensive treatise on “oil.”

What you’ll see is an explanation on the various oils he uses followed by his personal comments in blue.–The BBQ Grail

If you are a regular reader of Sizzle on the Grill you may have noticed I usually mention in recipes or online posts that I ’spritz’ meat with a bit of canola oil prior to grilling.  There are a couple of reasons I use this oil and why I spritz the meat, not the grates. First of all, unless the grates are being seasoned, the oil will burn off the grates before I place meat on it.  The oil serves a purpose of helping to rapidly transfer heat from the grates to the meat.  The seared meat proteins release when they are ‘done’ or brown and the oil merely facilitates this.   The second reason is because ‘grilling’ for me usually means I’m searing at a higher temperature, say 500F degrees or higher, before finishing at a lower temperature and I want an oil that will be OK for the higher heat. There really aren’t any that are both great for this high heat AND affordable. After testing a variety of oils I settled upon Canola for it’s generally higher temp capacity and  affordability.

Generally speaking, when frying or grilling I like to use oils which are flavor neutral.  I don’t want to add flavor to the grilled meat from the oil – especially from the oil incinerating at the higher temperature I use when grilling!  Depending upon the technique used to prepare the food I will use different oils because they have specific characteristics which enhance the food flavor. For example, I never use Extra Virgin or cold-pressed oils to cook with – grilling or other wise.  When extra virgin oils are exposed to heat they tend to burn quickly and turn bitter.  I use these primarily as a ‘top dressing’ of flavor on grilled meats after cooking, much the way I  might use a compound butter.

NOTE: I want to be very upfront about the content presented here. To write this post I have borrowed extensively from the exhaustive and comprehensive efforts by Andrew Grygus on the subject of oils. His work is published at www.clovegarden.com. Much of the specific information about oils is edited excerpts from his work and my comments are in blue after the information. The cooking oil Smoke Temperature & Composition chart at the bottom of the post is 100% his work.

As for all of this fuss I’m making about oils – let me fall back to my default philosophy about grilling and cooking: “If you are happy with the results you are getting, then keep doing things the way you do! YOU are the chef. But if you are interested in getting different results, this advice may be useful to you.”

My 3 most favorite grilling oils

1. Canola Oil:
“Canola” is an invented name (Canada + oil) for genetically modified rapeseed (technically, “low erucic acid rapeseed”). Rapeseed/Canola is a member of the mustard/cabbage family. Unmodified rapeseed is high in erucic acid which has caused heart lesions in animals so is considered unfit for food. The genetically modified (by breeding, not gene splicing) canola version has under 2% erucic acid and is approved by the FDA.  The smoke point of canola oil (400°F/200°C for refined oil) tolerates higher temperatures for frying and grilling  and the taste of canola oil  is unobtrusive so it can be used as a general purpose oil like grape seed oil or peanut oil. Canola oil is considered one of the more “heart friendly” oils, having a very high percentage of monounsaturated fats (though not as much as Olive Oil) and a very low percentage of saturated fats. In the past I’ve purchased spray cans of this oil as they are useful for ’spritzing’ meat. I’m switching to a mechanical spray device that I fill. It’s cheaper in the long run and less waste in the landfill.

2. Grape Seed Oil:
This is promoted as an excellent all-around frying oil because it has a very high smoke temperature (480°F/250°C for refined oil) and is highly resistant to breaking down. Once again, be aware of gourmet “cold pressed” or “virgin” oils which will smoke at a much lower temperature. With its unobtrusive flavor, grape seed oil can be used for Chinese stir fry in place of peanut oil called for in many recipes. Grape seed oil is higher in polyunsaturates than some other oils but has a high anti-oxidant content so it resists rancidity better than many vegetable oils. One caution: it’s a fast drying oil so you want to clean up splatter right away because cleaning will be a lot harder in a few days. On the other hand, this makes it very good for seasoning bare steel and cast iron cookware. I brush this oil on fish when I am going to grill it flesh side to the grates. It’s a bit pricey so I don’t use it for everyday grilling.

3. Safflower Oil
Safflower is a member of the sunflower family, but its oil is even higher in polyunsaturated fat and lower in saturated fat than sunflower oil. This extreme composition means it does not solidify when refrigerated, which has made it a favorite for production of salad dressings. It also has a very high smoke point, 510°F/265°C. A very useful oil unless you are one of the growing number that suspects polyunsaturates are evil. This is a relatively inexpensive oil and I use it sometimes, but the convenience of canola in the spray cans has been hard to beat. As I’m changing that habit, perhaps I’ll use more Safflower oil in the future.

I can already hear you saying out loud: “Hey CB! What about olive oil – you know, EVOO and all that business I hear on the TV food shows!”

Olive Oil
Here we have the king of both cooking and salad oils with a range of quality and flavors we associate with wine. The finest olive oils do tend to come from areas famed for wine – of these, Italy and California  generally produce the top oils. Italians import huge quantities of olives from Spain and Greece, so Italian oil isn’t guaranteed made from Italian grown olives. Olive oil should be stored in a cool place and out of direct sunlight. In tightly sealed glass bottles it will last up to a year but should be discarded after that. If stored below 50°F/10°C it will become cloudy, and if refrigerated it will become positively murky, but it will be unharmed and will clear up if allowed to rest at a warmer temperature.

The grades of olive oil can be quite confusing to many consumers, but the only two most Americans really need to deal with are Extra Virgin and Pure Olive Oil. The grades are quality grades, not flavor grades, and within any particular grade there will be wide differences of flavor depending on maker and country of origin. The grades are:

• Extra Virgin is cold pressed (first pressing) oil with 1% or less oleic acid. Use this oil for salads, condiments and other low temperature uses to preserve the flavor you are paying for. I buy some good stuff and use it on meats after they are grilled…drizzling just a small amount on the salty crust of lamb or beef is DEE-LISH-US.
• Fine Virgin is cold pressed oil with 1.5% or less oleic acid. Use the same as Extra Virgin for salads and condiments.
• Virgin is cold pressed oil with 2% or less oleic acid – used for salads, cooking and low temperature frying (up to 320°F/160°C).
• Semi-Fine Virgin can have oleic acid as high as 3.3% and is best used for cooking and low temperature frying.
• Lampante Virgin can have flavor defects and oleic acid higher than 3.3% and is not used for direct human consumption but rather as feed stock for making refined olive oil.
• Pure Olive Oil (also called just “Olive Oil”) is generally a blend of 85% refined oil and 15% virgin oil. It’s a good general cooking oil for use at higher temperatures than virgin oil (up to 410°F/210°C) and accounts for 80% of the oil consumed in Spain and Portugal. I use this on meats I will be slow roasting or smoking.
• Refined Olive Oil is virgin or second pressing oil refined to remove flavor defects and high acidity. The final acidity is 0.3% or less and it has no characteristic olive oil flavor. It is a good cooking oil that can stand higher temperatures than virgin oils.
• Light or Mild olive oil is filtered to remove much of the olive oil flavor, and is in some cases a blend of olive and other oils. These products are sold mostly to the “health conscious” at “value added” prices. “Light” refers to flavor and it has just as many calories as any other olive oil.
• Pomace Oil is olive oil extracted with heat and solvents from the crushed residue left from making better grade oils and is then refined. It lacks any olive oil character and is rare in the consumer market, though groceries serving ethnic populations may have it. Most is sold to commercial food processors who use it because it is low cost and can stand higher temperatures than any other olive oil but can still be listed as healthful “olive oil” in the ingredients (in truth, the health benefits of olive oil are uniform throughout the quality grades).
• Olive-Pomace Oil is pomace oil blended with some virgin oil to improve flavor. This is usually found in gallon cans in ethnic groceries catering to Mediterranean and Near Eastern populations. It can stand higher temperatures than any other olive oils except straight pomace oil. I purchase large cans of this blend and use it in pan saute and sometimes for grilling meats.

Usage Guidelines for Olive Oil:

• Extra Virgin is used for “drizzling”, for condiments, salad dressings and other low temperature applications where a distinctive olive oil flavor is desired. It can be use for very low temperature frying and braising but will lose its distinctive flavor if overheated. What did I tell you!
• Pure Olive Oil is a superb multi-use oil. Use it the same as Extra Virgin wherever the distinctive flavor of ExV would overwhelm. It can be used for all moderate temperature sauté and braising applications and for moderate temperature deep frying, anything below 400°F/200°C. Too pricey for general grilling and the flavor is lost in the heat! Why pay for flavor if you aren’t using it?
• “Lite” Olive Oil where you want to avoid polyunsaturated oils but want a flavorless oil. Effectively, it’s the same as Pomace olive oil but “filtered” rather than “refined” so the price is a lot higher.
• Pomace and Olive-Pomace is used for intense deep frying with temperatures even up to 450°F/235°C. You can also use it as you would “Lite” olive oil if the word “refined” doesn’t scare you. I buy large cans of this at the ‘Cash & Carry” where the small restaurants shop. It’s perfect for everyday saute work and some grilling!
• Olive Canola Blends seem a way to make a cheaper oil and still use “olive oil” on the label. A decent moderate temperature frying oil (to 400°F/200°C) with little or no distinctive olive oil flavor. Certainly healthier than corn or soy oil (way lower in polyunsaturates) but less durable (higher oxidation factor) than pure olive oil for deep frying. What’s the point? Just use canola oil – it’s cheaper!

General thoughts on the ‘over use’ of Extra Virgin Olive Oil by many folks.

If you are using oils like Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Sesame, etc. on meat for marinades or prior to grilling and don’t feel you are getting the results I present – may I inquire as to the additional spice and spice heat you enjoy? Often times folks using EVOO also use a great deal of spice in the preparation of meat for the grill. First off – the subtle flavors of the finer quality olive oil is lost in all that spice, so why bother?  Second – because the spices will generate heat, when the oil burns and turns bitter – it isn’t noticed.  Once again I ask: Why spend the money on fine oil when you aren’t really enjoying it’s benefits?  Add a drizzle of the ‘good stuff’ after the cook!

Oils I use sparingly:

Peanut Oil
Peanuts are actually legumes (beans) rather than nuts, so general comments about “nut oils” do not apply. Peanut oil is called for particularly in Chinese cooking because its light flavor does not detract from the flavor of quickly stir fried ingredients and its high smoke point lends it to that style of frying. I find “house brand” peanut oil in gallon jugs and 5 gallon cans at a local restaurant supply store, but substitutes like grape seed oil are now available everywhere (peanut is lower in polyunsaturates). I have a small bottle of this, but it’s pricey these days. I use it during the final 15 minutes or so on turkey in The Big Easy just for the sake of ‘tradition.’

Butter
Whole butter is a mix of fats, milk solids and moisture derived by churning cream until the oil droplets stick together and can be separated out. Butter is high in saturated fats which cause it to be solid at normal room temperature. Whole butter can be used only at low temperatures because included milk protein solids brown and then burn easily. Overheated butter loses much of its flavor and severely overheated butter will be bitter. Is there anything better than a pat of butter, maybe with some garlic in it, placed on top of a perfectly grilled steak? If I am using a very low BTU portable gas grill, I might use butter on the meat as a fail-safe to ensure they get some ‘grill’ marks. They aren’t really seared, because the temperature never gets hot enough – but they look good and the butter is browned a bit, not burnt!, and that adds to flavor.  I do not recommend using butter on meat prior to grilling over charcoal, on a higher powered gas grill and most definitely NOT with infrared grills!

Clarified Butter is butter that has been warmed until it is liquid. Any residue that floats to the top is skimmed off and discarded, the clear oil is poured off and the solids that sink to the bottom are discarded. Clarified butter can be used at a higher temperature than whole butter and is resistant to rancidity, but it does lack much of the flavor of whole butter. During the winter months, when I’m cooking more indoors, I keep a pan of this handy for cooking eggs. In a pinch I’d use it for grilling, but it’s kinda risky – it will burn!

Walnut Oil
While the smoke point of refined walnut oil is reasonably high (400°F/200°C), this oil is far more commonly found as an “unrefined” oil which should be used for lower temperature frying and salad applications because taking it too high will destroy the flavor you paid extra for. I have a small bottle of walnut oil that I enjoy drizzling on grilled veggies. Tasty, yes – but it’s expensive!

Avocado Oil
Here we have a real smoke point champion (520°F/270°C). If you want to sear meat quickly, or some other very high temperature application, this is the way to go. It is also a very healthy oil with a profile similar to Olive Oil. Unfortunately, it’s not commonly available. Too pricey to use on a regular basis.  I haven’t purchased a bottle in years – usually the one I have in my pantry is a holiday gift!

Sesame Seed Oil
Sesame oil is pressed from tiny sesame seeds and is available in several distinctly different varieties based upon the amount of roasting time for the seeds. Store these relatively perishable oils in a cool place away from light in tightly sealed containers and they should last up to 9 months.  I primarily use this oil for a finish flavoring after cooking – when I want a subtle reference to Asian flavors. It’s great on grilled beans or in a glaze brushed on chicken, pork or fish in the final moments of grilling. I would not use it on meat pre-grilling because it will burn and taste nasty.

Smoke Temperature & Composition

Please note: all temperatures and percent figures are approximate and vary with growing conditions, plant varieties, animal feed processing, storage conditions and many other factors.

This table and most of the information contained in this post is sourced directly from www.clovegarden.com and was compiled by Andrew Grygus

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