What is Saute?

spicy-chinese-recipes.html Pictured Above: Sauteed Spicy Hunan Steak

April 1, 2025

Hello Friends,

Many recipes will instruct you to “sauté”, either the whole recipe or just part like the vegetables. I use this process often when making soups, stews and my delicious Thanksgiving turkey stuffing. This simple dry heat cooking technique is cooking the food very quickly over moderately hot heat. It is best to heat the pan for a minute first; then add a small amount oil or butter; butter browns quicker and produces a delicious caramelized flavor.

The purpose of this cooking technique is to quickly sear the outside of the ingredients leaving the inside barely cooked and moist. Vegetables will still be crisp on the inside and meats such as chicken can be cooked longer until thoroughly done. To achieve a nice desired browning on the outside the pan and oil must be hot.

A flat bottom skillet or pan is a necessity for sautéing. The bottom needs to be large enough so that all ingredients can benefit from the hot surface of the bottom. Do not overcrowd the pan with ingredients; make sure there is a small space between each. If the pan is too crowded, the ingredients will steam and become soggy instead of crisp.

When sautéing, any water or liquid on the food will also cause steaming so dry thoroughly with paper towels. Have the food at room temperature; cold pieces will reduce the heat and prevent the searing. Cutting the food all in the same size allows for the process to finish at the same time making the texture all the same.

Foods that you sauté should be naturally tender since the cooking time is very brief. Some common foods to sauté are pieces of chicken breast, pieces of fish or shrimp and the tenderest cuts of pork and beef. Many vegetables are great this way like onions, bell peppers, mushrooms and asparagus.

Unlike stir frying when the food is continuously stirred, generally speaking, you stir only frequently in sautéing; this is done to insure evenly browning. Some exceptions might be the more dense, vegetables like chunks of potatoes will require more time to cook so less turning is needed to prevent them fall crumbling while cooking. Pieces of meat may need to be turned over only once to allow the outside to have a nice browning.

Technique of Saute

SAUTEED BEAN SPROUTS

Heat oil in heavy wok; add scallions and cook 30 seconds. Add sprouted wheat berries and cook 1 minute. Add ginger, soy sauce and water chestnuts; cover and cook 4 minutes. Serve hot.

Your friend, Frances