Cooking with MCT oil?

(BuckRimfire) #1

Any thoughts on cooking with MCT oil? I just got a bottle last week. Since it’s supposedly entirely straight-chain fatty acids, these should have a pretty high “smoke point” and good resistance to heat. I’m not planning to use this for deep frying, of course, but I’m assuming that if I’m sautéing or braising something, throwing in a tablespoon of MCT along with the butter, ghee, tallow, olive oil, or whatever should be inconsequential. Anyone heard otherwise from a credible source?

I would probably add the MCT late in the process, not right at the beginning of sautéing, but in principle, I can’t see why it would be a big deal.

(Joey) #2

Can’t really see a reason not to … except that it seems like a waste of money, with limited benefit for use in cooking.

Consider the cost per ounce and ask yourself why you’d want to waste it for cooking purposes - where much of it will fail to be absorbed into the food you’ll actually be ingesting.

Lots of info on MCT vs other oils out there - if you haven’t already done so, probably worth a bit of additional legwork.

:vulcan_salute:

(KM) #3

Smoke point of mct oil is 320 F. That’s about the same as olive oil, barely higher than butter, so it would be ok to saute but really too low for pan frying. (Tallow 400, avocado 520).

(Jim) #4

I just use grass fed/grass finished beef tallow. It also has a fairly high smoke point and adds some flavor as well. I should think MCT oil has no flavor. Why waste your money as I see no benefit in using MCT oil.

(BuckRimfire) #5

My usual brekkie is a huge (typically 700-800 grams in the serving bowl) skillet saute/braise of meat, a few tiny tomatoes and/or a tomatillo, a little onion, usually some peppers, and a bunch of cabbage or related veg, in some chicken stock. Everything prior to the cabbage gets sauted in some butter, ghee and/or olive or avocado oil, depending on my whim of the day. If I add some MCT oil along with the stock, it will be in the bowl when I eat it! VERY little residue stays in the skillet.

(Joey) #6

Sounds like you’ve got this well under control. Still, exert care when licking the skillet. :wink:

(BuckRimfire) #7

I haven’t burned my tongue yet, but you make a good point.

#8

Given the cost, I wouldn’t. You can, but better used other ways. Also, the smoke point of oil really doesn’t matter. Different oils go to hell at different temps, and those temps are always lower than the smoke point. When they hit the smoke point, that’s when they’ve 100% go to hell and are totally destroyed, the damage to them happens before that.

#9

:joy:

#10

MCT purified, or coconut oil? Cooking in coconut oil isn’t so strange.

(BuckRimfire) #11

I have both. I was meaning the purified MCT in this case.

(BuckRimfire) #12

Heh. I forgot to write that when the veggies and stuff are done cooking, I crack four eggs on top and let them poach in the steam.