Questions about seasonings, searing, and cooking oils

Vegetable oils are not good for you, so yes, making dishes with ghee, rendered lard, avocado oil, olive oil, or coconut oil will be healthier.

They will have different flavor profiles, but using ghee or olive oil in a hearty dish like pot roast generally would not give the dish a different flavor.

This board generally loves its vegetable oils though. I’ve gotten some angry reactions here when I point out how bad they are for you.

Chosen avocado oil is just about the only the I use now, thanks to Sam the Cooking Guy.

The main thing I look at is smoke point:



If I'm searing, I use something with the highest smoke point available. Avocado is a great choice because it has a really high smoke point and is flavor neutral.

I'm not drinking or consuming vegetable oil by the cup, so I'm not that concerned with using it (I rarely do).

EVOO is called for in a lot of instances where it shouldn't be used (searing, stir fry, higher heat sauteing, etc.), and I keep regular Olive Oil on had for medium heat cooking situations for a bit more flavor but higher smoke point.

Good info

I can’t believe extra light olive oil has a higher smoke point and peanut oil

I agree. I turned to Avocado oil for almost everything in a pan, oven or BBQ and haven't looked back. I pick up the larger bottles at Costco.

I only use Olive Oil in dishes where you want to taste the the oil, like certain pastas and dipping sauce for bread.