Cooking Fats
To start, let’s clear up a little misconception.
Many people think that the smoke point of a fat is an indicator of how safe it is under heat, but this isn’t the case.
Smoke point is a POOR indicator of how well a fat does under heat.
What matters is the STABILITY of the fat, and there are 3 main factors to consider:
1. Composition
-Saturated fats (no double bonds, stable at heat)
-Monounsaturated fats (1 double bond, stable at heat)
-Polyunsaturated fats (2 or more double bonds, not stable at heat)
2. Antioxidants
Antioxidants protect against oxidation, which is the undesirable process that can happen to an oil when exposed to heat.
Therefore, antioxidants play a major role in the stability and health benefits of an oil.
3. Level of refinement
The more refined oils are, the lower the oxidative stability is. This is because they are exposed to high heat, and the natural antioxidants are stripped away.
Seed oils fail the test for all 3; they are polyunsaturated fats, have extremely low antioxidants, and very high level of refinement.
However, the temperature at which this happens is unrelated to the smoke point!
The smoke point may, however, alter the flavor, but I will get into that later.
Best Cooking Fats & When To Use Them
BUTTER
Because butter is mainly a saturated fat, it is stable at heat. It does have a low smoke point at 350 degrees, which means the flavor can be impacted rather quickly.
Butter is perfect for low to medium low heat cooking, baking or finishing a steak/meat with.
Compared to regular butter, grass fed butter contains:
-more Vitamin A
-more Vitamin K2
-Up to 5 times more CLA
-Up to 25% more Omega 3’s
-Tastes way better
GHEE
Ghee is also mainly a saturated fat, making it stable at heat. It has a much higher smoke point than butter at 480 degrees, making it the best option for high heat when you want the butter flavor.
This is a great option for searing a steak, or other high heat cooking.
BEEF TALLOW
Beef tallow is high in saturated fat, making it very stable at heat.
It also has a very high smoke point of 540 degrees, making it one of the best options for high heat cooking and frying.
Make sure you use 100% grass fed tallow, ensuring the best quality fat.
LARD
Pasture raised pork produces good quality fat, mostly consisting of monounsaturated fats, making stable at heat.
However, most conventional pork out there is fed vegetable oils, which affects the fat content, making it more prone to oxidation.
If you can find good pasture raised lard, it is a great option for cooking.
It has a smoke point of 375 degrees, but does not have a huge impact on flavor once it smokes.
COCONUT OIL
Coconut oil is very high in saturated fat, making it very stable at high heat. Although it does have a low smoke point of 350 degrees, this does not have a huge impact on the flavor.
Coconut oil is great for searing, frying, and sautéing.
EXTRA VIRGIN OLIVE OIL
EVOO is made up of mostly monounsaturated fats and loaded with antioxidants. Not only are these very healthy, they also improve the resistance to oxidative damage.
The same compounds that protect EVOO from oxidation can even protect food from it, as well as preventing carcinogenic products from forming during cooking.
Beneficial nutrients from foods, specifically carotenoids (antioxidants) may even be preserved and more bioavailable from cooking in olive oil!
EVOO does have a relatively low smoke point, though, at 350 degrees, so the flavor can be impacted. However, it is great for medium heat cooking/sautéing, salad dressings, or a finisher.
AVOCADO OIL
Avocado oil is also made up of mostly monounsaturated fats but low in antioxidants, making it stable at heat to a certain extent.
It will oxidize over longer periods of time, though, so it is not an oil you’d want to use more than once like other, more stable fats.
It has a smoke point of 500 degrees, making it a good option for high heat cooking and searing as well as salad dressings.
Lastly, a trick for you.
If you want the flavor from something with a lower smoke point (like butter or EVOO) but want to cook at higher heat, add avocado oil!
This will raise the smoke point, and preserve the flavor. For example, if I want to try some plants (if tolerated) sauteed in butter, add some avocado oil to raise the smoke point.