The secret to cooking with stainless steel (it’s all about ‘Terminator 2’)

Before I worked in restaurants, I had a lot of trouble with stainless steel pans.

My fish would stick, my eggs wouldn’t flip, and I frequently found myself turning to nonstick pans instead (don’t worry, I haven’t had any effects from PFAs, beyond a slight softening of the teeth).

I know I’m not alone, and as I’m sure many of you have, I turned to social media for help.

There, I found an unending sea of (mostly) bearded men promising me the world: a simple technique that would ensure my fried eggs slid effortlessly across my pan like roller skates on Vaseline.

The person in the video would sprinkle some water onto a hot skillet, and it would magically transform into translucent orbs that glided wobbly (and easily) across the pan’s seemingly nonstick surface. For some reason I couldn’t totally understand, passing the water droplet test seemed to be the secret to cooking in a stainless steel pan.

It wasn’t until I reached the grill station on the line at Chez Panisse that stainless steel cookery really clicked.

In addition to cooking meat — pork loins, lamb leg, sirloins — over wood fire, a large part of the job was sautéing pre-blanched vegetables with a little pounded garlic and olive oil in stainless steel pans.

At first, I struggled. My garlic would cling to the pan and burn. What was I doing wrong?

My more experienced co-workers all seemed to have a similar rhythm to their stovetop cooking: They’d place a stainless steel pan on the stove, crank it up to high and then whirl around to work on other tasks. After a minute or so, they’d turn back to the pan, spoon in their garlic and oil, wait a moment for the mixture to sizzle fragrantly, then put in their vegetables and toss everything together until warmed through.

Hmm.

I tried mimicking their process, and to my delight, it worked! Neither my vegetables nor garlic stuck to the pan.

It was then I really internalized the secret to cooking with stainless steel: thorough preheating.

Of course, this is basically what the water droplet test is trying to demonstrate. But, in that moment, I gained experiential knowledge. I let the pan get really hot, I added my oil to it, and I watched my food behave differently.

But why did it work?

Over time, I came up with my own way of understanding this phenomenon that has allowed me to feel confident every time I pick up a stainless steel pan. While I don’t want to be another bearded man promising you the world, I would like to offer you a different way of thinking about it. It stuck with me, and hopefully it will stick with you too.

DISCLAIMER: I am not a scientist (yet) and the description that follows is not completely scientifically or physically accurate.

Every time you pick up a stainless steel pan, I want you to think of the villain from “Terminator 2: Judgment Day.”

If you recall, whenever the villain (the T-1000) got shot, the bullets tore large, metallic holes in his body. However, this evil robot man could heal himself. Quickly, the holes would shrink and his body would return to its original, unblemished condition.

When a stainless steel pan is cold, its surface is covered with a bunch of microscopic irregularities. I think of these as rough, sticky holes that like to grip onto whatever food they touch.

When I heat up one of these pans, I imagine the metal expanding and these microscopic holes closing up (like the bullet wounds of T-1000), creating a smooth, uniform surface to cook on. Once this happens, food is much, much less likely to stick to the pan.

But how do you know when the surface has closed up enough to become less sticky?

This is where the water droplet test comes in handy.

Try this sometime: Set a pan on the stove and turn the burner to medium and then, every 30 seconds, add in a few drops of water. At first, the water will slowly boil. Next, it’ll hiss and quickly evaporate. After that, it might bounce a bit before turning into steam. Eventually, the water will form into distinct beads that glide easily around the pan.

When that happens, your pan is hot enough and the surface has become smooth.

Then, you add fat, which I like to think of as a slippery buffer that fills up any remaining holes.

Here’s how I cook on stainless steel:

I set my pan over medium heat and I walk away for a couple minutes. Maybe I’ll pick some parsley or text my mom to apologize.

When I come back, I sploosh some water onto the pan. If it sizzles and evaporates, I’ll give it another minute. If it orbitizes, it’s ready.

Next, I’ll lower the heat to whatever temperature I want to cook at. For a fried egg, that might be medium-low.

I’ll add enough oil to coat the surface, and let it heat up. I’ll know the fat is up to temperature when it’s “shimmering” — that is, when the light gleams off it, it looks rippled, uneven and wavy — but not smoking.

Then, I simply cook whatever I please. Add an egg, and almost instantly it’ll be sliding around the surface, completely unstuck. Fish skin might stick at first, but eventually, once it’s browned enough, it’ll come loose too.

There are times where you might want to start cooking in a cold pan, for example with proteins that have a thick layer of fat, like chicken thighs or duck breasts, but that’s for another time.

For now, remember: Every time you pick up your stainless steel pan, just think of “Terminator 2: Judgment Day.”

If this still feels confusing, consider watching my supplementary video. Once you’re ready, check out the recipes below to put the theory into practice.

See you next week.

Happy eating,

Cody

Mini Kabob’s Pan-Seared Chicken Cutlets

Mini Kabob is my ultimate comfort food. Put your pan-searing skills to the test with these pork-belly-studded chicken cutlets, which chef and co-owner Armen Martirosyan describes as being the shape of Arnold’s head, from the TV show, “Hey Arnold!”
Get the recipe.
Cook time: 1 hour 10 minutes. Serves 6.

(Cody Long / Los Angeles Times)

Crispy-Skin Salmon With Brown Butter and Chile Vinaigrette

A lot of people are scared to cook skin-on fish, perhaps haunted by memories of skin stuck firmly to pan. Not you! Where Ben Mims calls for using a nonstick skillet, take a walk on the wild side and use that stainless steel pan you’ve been avoiding.
Get the recipe.
Cook time: 30 minutes. Serves 2.

(Ben Mims / Los Angeles Times)