Olive Oil on BBQ's

[Buccaneer]

I'd like to address this because we all have opinions and these opinions effect others, especially newbies.
I have seen negative comments about using olive oil on BBQ's due to olive oil's flashpoint, and comments about how it gives a biter taste if used.
I love olive oil and use it a lot, this has not been my experience but I stayed quiet because I don't know how others are using it and can't see their techniques or how hot they get their heat sources before BBQing.

I decided to ask one of Australia's premium chefs, a legend at BBQing and someone I am fortunate enough to be able to seek opinions from.
He says this.
The only olive oil you shouldn't use on bbqing is expensive oil like Evo because they aren't for cooking at all but for dressing. The flavour is ruined when heated.

Use olive oil for marinades and direct cooking but NEVER put anything on the BBQ dripping with olive oil at maximum it should be moistened but no drips and this obviously is only for when the BBQ has an open flame.
The olive oil will flare and this WILL cause bitterness !

Never season a grill using olive oil.
Olive oil goes rancid.
He uses olive oil in the majority of cooking, except for special cases where peanut (groundnut) or grapeseed oil have applicable benefits.
It has flavour and huge health advantages so by all means please use it.
If you had a negative experience I hope you follow this advice and get to enjoy olive oil again!

HTH everybody!

[urbangriller]

Generally Olive oil is no good above 150C it starts to burn. I use a higher flashpoint oil like grapeseed or Carrotino (a mix of canola and red palm....great orange colour) both have a nutty flavour and a higher flash point.

Chris

[Smokey Mick]

Your chef mate just backed up why I dont use olive oil on the "Grill", The hot plate is ok.
The problem with it is that it does go black and rancid.
I used to use it, on the grill, But not any more and never will.
I do use it inside with pan, Oven and salads.
If you are still using olive oil in your grilling, And havent yet used grapeseed oil, I strongly recomend you try it.
You will find your grill marks wont be so black.

[Buccaneer]

Generally Olive oil is no good above 150C it starts to burn. I use a higher flashpoint oil like grapeseed or Carrotino (a mix of canola and red palm....great orange colour) both have a nutty flavour and a higher flash point.

Chris

I love grapeseed oil but it is soo expensive.
That smokepoint of 150C isn't right Chris.
Olive oil is one of the most stable fats and will handle 210C, it gets a little hotter than canola's smoke point!
This direct from the International Olive Oil council
>When heated, olive oil is the most stable fat, which means it stands up well to high frying temperatures. Its high smoke point (410ºF or 210ºC) is well above the ideal temperature for frying food (356ºF or 180ºC). The digestibility of olive oil is not affected when it is heated, even when it is re-used several times for frying<

Type of Oil/ Smoke Point Temperature
Grape Seed 485ºF or 252ºC
Avocado 480ºF or 249ºC
Sesame 410ºF or 210ºC
Canola 400ºF or 204ºC
Macadamia 385ºF or 196ºC

[Smokey Mick]

That is fine for frying mate. It does not like the flames licking the grill bars, Goes black real quik and is a PITA to clean.
Stinks to high heaven if you forget to clean the nex day or just after grilling.
I supose there is no answer here as long as you dont have a problem with Olive oil on grilled food.
If you dont have a Prob, There is no prob

[Buccaneer]

That's dead right Shmokey...it is not to come into contact with flames directly.
My BBQ efforts that doesn't happen....so far...

[Smokey Mick]

Ahhhh, Some of us do like the flames to lick.
I will often induce a flare up if, Say cooking a steak to rare. I want the hot flame to sear the surface and give crunch.
For this I use a spray bottle of grape seed or rice bran oil mixed with a little lemon juice and worchistshire or soy.
I never squeeze the steak to get a flare up. I spray or just pour over the good stuff and let it dribble down below two the burners set to high.
This begs a question, Can this be done on a webber genisis? (Get flames up to the grill bars)

[Buccaneer]

Still, checking on a few websites of chefs I really respect, olive oil is the main choice in their BBQ recipes lads.
I reckon it's just that you lazy buggers don't clean your grills!

[urbangriller]

There is a lot of conflicting opinion on oils on the web.

Here is what I have noticed:

If I use olive oil on a clean SS bbq plate up uver 170C it seems to thicken and burn (go black) and it becomes sticky and tastes bad add to this it's a "B" to clean off. Canola doesn't do this, but canola has bad press (and is probably not that good for you), Grapeseed behaves nicely.

As for Chefs including trendy ingredients in their non-replicatable recipes.....don't get me started....you'll notice most of them don't talk about internal temp either...their recipes are aimed at plebs, so they make money without giving away any of their secrets!

Chris

[Smokey Mick]

The title "Chef" Dosent make him edumacated in BBQ
Ive seen some shocker chefs that give wrong advice and some of them famous.
Buc, If you like grilling with Olive oil, Then do so.
I did just that for years until I realised It wasnt "AS GOOD" as other oils.
That is the balls of what was discused here abouts. And If I my memory serves me, It was about a newbie that had bad BLACK sear marks on his beef or chicken steaks.
The recomendation was made to go to a higher flash point oil (And clean his grill) and I belive that did the trick.
That said, And I think this is where your chef info is going awry, Is that some food benifits from olive oil grilling, Like capsican, BUT, That is at a low temp grill.
I still think there are better oils for tha BBQ. Ask your local webber dealer about what they think of it.
It turns to black crud

[Captain Cook]

Like Chris says.

My personal experience is that the OO blackens when doing high heat grilling where the grill bars come into contact with the meat/oil. I don't have this problem with Canola. When the OO blackens it gives off a different taste - sort of earthy bitter taste and is unpleasant to my palate.
As I said this is from personal experience so I would not change my mind or recommendations.

I do not recommend it for people just starting out as they have enough to contend with without adding the possible problems caused by the oil.

I always use OO for salad dressings and finishing off if I need to gloss the food but not for cooking on the BBQ.

Cheers

Phil aka Captain Cook

[imarty]

My understanding also is that OO is great for dressings, especially extra virgin etc but beyond that, not great for frying = bbq.

You should all be jealous that I have a function next week with Nino Zoccali, nationally recognised authority on OO so I will question him on this and report back.
BTW we're gonna be eating some of the best smallgoods in Australia at this function like, culatello, guanciallo, catcciatore, coppa, lardo, jamon, lachs shincken, wiesswurst as well as Australia's best bacon...

[Davo]

If I'm to use olive oil at all these days it's usually the light spray versions if I'm cooking greens on the hotplate or grill sheet...just a light spray on the vegies and place them on heat otherwise I mostly use Ricebran oil.
I mostly light using the sprays rather than the oil liquid itself.
If I'm doing the roadside chicken on the kettle grill, I'll use either vegetable or grapeseed oil as I love to entice the flames to licken ze chicken
Olive oil great for salads or lightly grilling greens...but that's all i'll use it for generally.

Cheers

Davo

[Captain Cook]

........................

BTW we're gonna be eating some of the best smallgoods in Australia at this function like, culatello, guanciallo, catcciatore, coppa, lardo, jamon, lachs shincken, wiesswurst as well as Australia's best bacon...

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B**t**d

[Bentley]

I say use brisket fat! OK, just weak American humor!

I would have bet money Canol oil had a higher flash point than Olive Oil, you guys can see why I dont bet a lot!