Not Cooking Too Well; Hot, Yes; Well, No

It all started out like any normal cooking venture I do:

  1. Get out the supplies and ingredients.
  2. Cut things up.
  3. Pre-heat the pan.
  4. Get ready to have fun.

After everything was prepared for the main event, I added  a couple of Tbsp of vegetable oil to my stainless steel 12″ skillet, which had been pre-heating on 6 for about 4 minutes.

Anyone have a problem with that? Lemme know now, because I do that all the time. ALL the time.

Pan on fireThis time, however, things took a turn for the worse. As I tilted the pan to spread the oil out before dropping the steak to sear, steam/smoke immediately started to roll in a convection motion around the inside of the pan (and no, I didn’t slop any and it’s a glass-top stove). Three seconds later, PHOOOM!!! One foot flames erupted from the pan in a flash burn, only it wasn’t over. It kept burning.

Three seconds later, I started yelling, “FIRE!!” to K, who was probably thinking I was joking until she saw the inferno in my hand as I took it out from the hood, but had yet decided what to do. The only things I knew to not do were:

  1. panic (too late!!)
  2. use water
  3. dump the oil

The only thing I could think to do was to cover it with the lid. Doh! i just blocked access to the cabinet with the pan on the tile floor, so I had to move it a bit. Lid in hand, I tried to aim it onto the bonfire. It skidded across the top and rested half on/half off. That sucked. I tried again, and again. Finally. It went out in about two seconds with another phoomp! and turned the glass lid a nice charred black.

All of the smoke detectors in the apartment started going off and the floor was hot for about a half hour afterward. After cleaning out the pan, I tried again, this time with the heat on 4. Dinner was a success.

Comments

  1. Which day did this happen?
    No singed hairs on your arms?
    I’ll glad you could think clearly – I usually panic :>)

  2. Which day did this happen?
    No singed hairs on your arms?
    I’ll glad you could think clearly – I usually panic :>)

  3. Yesterday after lunch. No singes or domestic damage, save the nasty charring on the pan.

    At least I didn’t pull a Dad and blast it with the extinguisher. 😛

  4. Yesterday after lunch. No singes or domestic damage, save the nasty charring on the pan.

    At least I didn’t pull a Dad and blast it with the extinguisher. 😛

  5. From what I understand if you douse the flame with baking soda it should go out. just for future reference. and I have not a problem with warming your pan up on 6 I do it on 9 but my stove sucks and I need a new one.

  6. From what I understand if you douse the flame with baking soda it should go out. just for future reference. and I have not a problem with warming your pan up on 6 I do it on 9 but my stove sucks and I need a new one.

  7. Baking soda… thanks. That’s above the stove as it is.

  8. Baking soda… thanks. That’s above the stove as it is.

  9. Yeah thats what I have been told not for sure if it works never had the opportunity to try it though. Hopefully you never have that problem again and never have to find out if it works.

  10. Yeah thats what I have been told not for sure if it works never had the opportunity to try it though. Hopefully you never have that problem again and never have to find out if it works.