# Olive Oil questions



## nopeda (Jun 8, 2016)

I've hesitated to put oil on meat being afraid it would change the flavor and make it more greasy, but have had problems with the outside of meat getting too hard and the inside getting dried out. Recently a friend has encouraged the use of olive oil to help with both of those issues, and said it doesn't have a bad influence on the overall flavor. Do you people support that--I'm guessing you do having seen it suggested here and in youtube vids--and how do you suggest applying it? I only have a bottle of liquid, not spray. Also do you use it on all meat, or on some things like chicken but not on others?

Thank you for any help with this!

David


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## SmokinAl (Jun 8, 2016)

I use EVOO a lot of times in place of mustard to hold the rub on.

It will not make the meat greasy.

Just pour it on & rub it around.

Then sprinkle your rub on.

Al


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## daveomak (Jun 8, 2016)

I use peanut oil...  I don't like the flavor of olive oil...


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## daniels (Jun 8, 2016)

Just remember that the EVOO has the strongest olive oil flavor and the flavor diminishes with the later pressings.  That's why EVOO shouldn't be used in salad dressings.  It's too over powering.  You may like it on meat though.

Personally, I prefer peanut oil.  Nice mild flavor.  Chicken fried in peanut oil is fantastic, IMHO.

For applying rubs, I use mustard.

If you're having a problem drying out the meat I don't think oil is going to help but perhaps I'm wrong.


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## jasper7 (Jun 8, 2016)

I brush it on while I cook, using a silicone pastry brush.  Helps make chicken skin crispy.


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## mr t 59874 (Jun 8, 2016)

DanielS said:


> Just remember that the EVOO has the strongest olive oil flavor and the flavor diminishes with the later pressings.  That's why EVOO shouldn't be used in salad dressings.  It's too over powering.


Perhaps it could be the quality of the oil being used that makes it overpowering in your opinion. 

Extra-virgin olive oil (sometimes called EVOO) comes from the first pressing of the olives, contains no more than 0.8% acidity, and is judged to have a superior taste. There can be no refined oil in extra-virgin olive oil. This is the healthiest, top of the range of olive oils and should be the oil that graces your salads.

T


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## daniels (Jun 8, 2016)

Mr T 59874 said:


> Perhaps it could be the quality of the oil being used that makes it overpowering in your opinion.
> 
> Extra-virgin olive oil (sometimes called EVOO) comes from the first pressing of the olives, contains no more than 0.8% acidity, and is judged to have a superior taste. There can be no refined oil in extra-virgin olive oil. This is the healthiest, top of the range of olive oils and should be the oil that graces your salads.


T

Nope!  It's a fact.  Not my opinion.  I've heard it on many cooking shows and read it in cookbooks.  Extra Virgin Olive Oil is the strongest tasting and too strong tasting for a salad oil.  If you get used to it and like it that's fine but good EVOO is way too strong tasting for me.

There's nothing actually superior about EVOO to the other pressings except that it's never heated during the pressing.  EVOO is not appropriate for salad dressings.  If you use olive oil for your salad dressing you should use a later pressed olive oil.

Salads and such are why products like this are available:

[h1]Bertolli[emoji]174[/emoji] Extra Light Tasting Olive Oil[/h1]For the benefits of olive oil without the taste,


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## bluewhisper (Jun 8, 2016)

BTW have you tried a Spanish olive oil? It isn't like Greek or Italian; it's green with a different flavor.


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## atomicsmoke (Jun 8, 2016)

If not on salads (and dunking fresh crusty bread in it) what good  a great EVOO is for?

Nothing superior? Most of the good stuff is in EVOO. Actually there are producers that make "free run evoo"...no pressing.  Obviously more expensive.

There is no edible oil coming out from 2nd pressing. It has to be (chemically) refined.

Don't know much about light olive oil except that Bertolli came up with the term and that is mix of oils.

I stopped buying Italian evoo a long time ago after reading reports on counterfeit oil (mafia seems to be involved). 

Greek and Spanish for me.

Blue, Spanish evoo? A treat. Love Nunez de Prado Flor de aceite. Pricey but yummy.


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## daveomak (Jun 8, 2016)

One thing I've heard about Olive Oil is......   because of it's hydrogen bonding or some molecular bonding, it is susceptible to oxidizing REALLY fast....   it can become rancid fast...   and I heard it is suggested it be used within 6 months of manufacture because of this.....  The same for Canola Oil....

Anyone else hear that ??


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## mr t 59874 (Jun 8, 2016)




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## mr t 59874 (Jun 8, 2016)

Not going to thread jack, so suggest to those in doubt, when not on the forum, Google EVOO based salad dressing.

T


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## daniels (Jun 8, 2016)

You'll find all sorts of recipes for salad dressings that use EVOO but it incorrect to do so.  Talk to some culinary school instructors.  Real experts.


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## mr t 59874 (Jun 8, 2016)

DanielS said:


> You'll find all sorts of recipes for salad dressings that use EVOO but it incorrect to do so.  Talk to some culinary school instructors.  Real experts.


 Real experts?  I'll trust my own taste buds, not someone else's, thank you for the advice though.

T


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## atomicsmoke (Jun 8, 2016)

DaveOmak said:


> One thing I've heard about Olive Oil is......   because of it's hydrogen bonding or some molecular bonding, it is susceptible to oxidizing REALLY fast....   it can become rancid fast...   and I heard it is suggested it be used within 6 months of manufacture because of this.....  The same for Canola Oil....
> 
> Anyone else hear that ??


Properly stored it won't. 2-3 years depending on the oil. But is at peak value after extraction (in terms of taste).


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## nopeda (Jun 8, 2016)

DanielS said:


> Just remember that the EVOO has the strongest olive oil flavor and the flavor diminishes with the later pressings.  That's why EVOO shouldn't be used in salad dressings.  It's too over powering.  You may like it on meat though.
> 
> Personally, I prefer peanut oil.  Nice mild flavor.  Chicken fried in peanut oil is fantastic, IMHO.
> 
> ...


Thanks to all of you for your helpful suggestions! The friend who made the suggestion to me about olive oil said it would help retain moisture, make the skin less crisp, and wouldn't add any noticeable flavor. So if you don't want the skin more crisp, which I don't, what's the advantage in using any oil at all?

And mustard? From my experience with mustard it seems that would add a *lot**  *of flavor that most people wouldn't want. I don't get it...


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## sfprankster (Jun 8, 2016)

...


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## hdbrs (Jun 8, 2016)

I remember watching a documentary about olive oil and how crooked the whole business was, esp olive oil from overseas. I bought some olive oil off amazon from California and it is completely different in taste and color than the stuff I was buying from the supermarket. It's almost a green color, but expensive too. I really like it


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## sfprankster (Jun 8, 2016)

...


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## daniels (Jun 8, 2016)

“Extra-virgin olive oil contains bitter tasting polyphenols coated by fatty acids, which prevent them from dispersing. If the oil is emulsified in a food processor, these polyphenols get squeezed out and the liquid mix turns bitter.

The magazine (Cook's Illustrated) further claims this is only a problem when mixing dressing or mayo, because in pesto the other ingredients as nuts and cheese are robust enough to cope with it. This is where I (Nicky) disagree; I rarely prepare pesto with extra-virgin olive oil in the food processor anymore – because of the indeed noticeable bitter outcome”

In case you're not familiar with Cook's Illustrated, they're the ones that run their kitchens like laboratories.

From a Chowhound user under Bitter EVOO, "Hmmm, it is kind of a "green" bitter. My husband even noticed the bitterness last night and was unhappy (and his tastes aren't that sharp).

I've used it for cooking and haven't noticed any problems, but I have noticed a bitterness with salad dressings and just now I was able to put my finger on it when I dipped a piece of bread in it. It's just very sharp, if that makes sense. Unpleansantly so, for me.

I love a strong olive oil taste - do you have any suggestions for a good flavor with no bitterness?"

EVOO has too low a smoke point for serious frying.

I'll dip bread in EVOO with coarse ground black pepper at a restaurant if they don't serve real butter but I don't have much use for EVOO at home.

YMMV.


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## cats49er (Jun 8, 2016)

Having had a triple by-pass years ago I have switched to olive oil only. As some have stated varieties have a strong flavor.What we use for everything is the Daily Chef brand 100% olive oil in a 3 liter bottle.It is a mix of refined and virgin olive oil. It is light in color and to me has a mild flavor.A little bite of it in the pan is a big help to the taste of turkey bacon or sausage.


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## atomicsmoke (Jun 8, 2016)

My pesto never tastes bitter out of the food processor. Neither do dressings. Granted I don't blitz the hell out of them. 

I agree EVOO is not the best for high temp frying, but makes saute Vegs taste great. 

So many other ways to enjoy EVOO:simple pasta with oil and garlic, a slice of garden tomatoe topped with ricotta drizzled with EVOO, drizzled over avocado with some good balsamic....but it's not your cup of tea....


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## atomicsmoke (Jun 8, 2016)

Cats49er said:


> Having had a triple by-pass years ago I have switched to olive oil only. As some have stated varieties have a strong flavor.What we use for everything is the Daily Chef brand 100% olive oil in a 3 liter bottle.It is a mix of refined and virgin olive oil. It is light in color and to me has a mild flavor.A little bite of it in the pan is a big help to the taste of turkey bacon or sausage.


If you want the heart health benefits of olive oil you need EVOO. Served cold.


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## sfprankster (Jun 8, 2016)

...


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## daniels (Jun 8, 2016)

If you guys aren't having the typical/classic issues with EVOO then I wonder if you're getting real EVOO.  Maybe you're getting some of the adulterated stuff.

EVOO has a couple of well known problems whereas the later pressings don't.


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## sfprankster (Jun 8, 2016)

...


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## daniels (Jun 8, 2016)

sfprankster said:


> I personally know the person that grows the olives and does the pressing of the evoo I use. I have visited the farm where the olives are grown several times.
> 
> The adulterated evoo contains the later pressings. It is not considered evoo unless it comes from the first press.


Exactly!  Thus the adulterated EVOO wouldn't have the issues as a real EVOO.  You still may have a decent enough olive oil but you didn't get the real EVOO that you paid for.


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## sfprankster (Jun 8, 2016)

...


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## bbqbrett (Jun 8, 2016)

Interesting thread.  I have not used olive oil very much and have not used it in my BBQ.  I have heard a lot of reports about it being EVOO being sold that is really not EVOO.  I did not see any brands mentioned.  Does anyone know of a reputable brand to try if I wanted to try it out for BBQ?


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## daniels (Jun 8, 2016)

sfprankster said:


> Citation to your article? References?
> 
> There are so many different olive oils on the market, of various qualities. This alone makes any article's authenticity come into question. Did they use some cheap brand from the local supermarket? Or a high quality, locally produced evoo. I can do the same and cite several articles which only recommend the use of a high quality evoo in their recipes.


Cook's Illustrated according to the poster that I found.  Cook's Illustrated wouldn't use a crappy olive oil.  I didn't provide a link because that's forbidden here as I understand it.

True EVOO will have the problem.  Crappy adulterated EVOO probably won't because it's not real EVOO.


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## daniels (Jun 8, 2016)

sfprankster said:


> There is no such thing as adulterated evoo from my friend/producer. It's all first cold pressed and nothing else.
> 
> Your Bertolli Light Tasting Olive oil is the adulterated variety. There are several oils combined and cleverly marketed as evoo, of which it is not.


Wrong again!  The Bertolli I referenced is not EVOO.  I never said it was and Bertolli doesn't claim it to be EVOO.  It's a later pressing.  Notice it says Light *Tasting*.

You are right that there's no such thing as an adulterated EVOO.  If it's not first cold pressed and nothing else it's not EVOO, just like you said.  If it claims it's an EVOO and it's adulterated then it's not really EVOO.  I'm agreeing with you 100%.  That was my point when I made the statement.


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## sfprankster (Jun 8, 2016)

...


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## smokeymose (Jun 8, 2016)

DaveOmak said:


> One thing I've heard about Olive Oil is......   because of it's hydrogen bonding or some molecular bonding, it is susceptible to oxidizing REALLY fast....   it can become rancid fast...   and I heard it is suggested it be used within 6 months of manufacture because of this.....  The same for Canola Oil....
> 
> Anyone else hear that ??


That's why we only buy smaller bottles of both, but I can't see us going 6 months because we use so much of them....


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## atomicsmoke (Jun 8, 2016)

I am not going to further debate evoo uses and taste with a member who "has no use for it". I respect your preference for light tasting oil but I recommend you refrain from passing advice here based on something you read on a recipe website.


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## smokeymose (Jun 8, 2016)

So much Angst over oil. What happened to this thread?
:duel:


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## daniels (Jun 9, 2016)

Some folks just can't 'get it'.


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## dvdslw (Jun 9, 2016)

To answer the op and his question in post #1, I have and do use Olive Oil to help retain moisture when I smoke. The first time I was hesitant because I wasn't sure of the end result but my ribs that day were looking dry about half way through a cook when I realized I was out of my usual spritz concoction so I grabbed a can of Publix brand Olive Oil Spray. Worked like a charm and I've used it several times without any adverse affects plus really seems to keep them moist.


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## mcgregormx (Jun 9, 2016)

nopeda said:


> Thanks to all of you for your helpful suggestions! The friend who made the suggestion to me about olive oil said it would help retain moisture, make the skin less crisp, and wouldn't add any noticeable flavor. So if you don't want the skin more crisp, which I don't, what's the advantage in using any oil at all?
> 
> And mustard? From my experience with mustard it seems that would add a *lot**  *of flavor that most people wouldn't want. I don't get it...


I recently used olive oil because I ran out of mustard, I didn't notice any additional flavors.

As for mustard, it is my go-to for getting a rub to stick! I haven't ever noticed a taste difference with or without it. So if the idea is to get a rub to stick, or give the outside a little insulation, mustard will work great!


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## daniels (Jun 9, 2016)

When smearing some mustard on meat to get the rub to stick I haven't noticed any taste from the mustard either.


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## smokeymose (Jun 9, 2016)

I've used mustard, olive oil and Pam and haven't noticed any taste difference (it's still a mystery to me how mustard flavor can just disappear like that). That being said, unless you're just wanting to stick massive quantities to the meat, just the moisture in the meat will hold the rub if you let it sit for a few. I do use thick wooshie sauce on my chuck roasts, but nothing on ribs, etc.


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## nopeda (Jun 8, 2016)

I've hesitated to put oil on meat being afraid it would change the flavor and make it more greasy, but have had problems with the outside of meat getting too hard and the inside getting dried out. Recently a friend has encouraged the use of olive oil to help with both of those issues, and said it doesn't have a bad influence on the overall flavor. Do you people support that--I'm guessing you do having seen it suggested here and in youtube vids--and how do you suggest applying it? I only have a bottle of liquid, not spray. Also do you use it on all meat, or on some things like chicken but not on others?

Thank you for any help with this!

David


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## SmokinAl (Jun 8, 2016)

I use EVOO a lot of times in place of mustard to hold the rub on.

It will not make the meat greasy.

Just pour it on & rub it around.

Then sprinkle your rub on.

Al


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## daveomak (Jun 8, 2016)

I use peanut oil...  I don't like the flavor of olive oil...


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## daniels (Jun 8, 2016)

Just remember that the EVOO has the strongest olive oil flavor and the flavor diminishes with the later pressings.  That's why EVOO shouldn't be used in salad dressings.  It's too over powering.  You may like it on meat though.

Personally, I prefer peanut oil.  Nice mild flavor.  Chicken fried in peanut oil is fantastic, IMHO.

For applying rubs, I use mustard.

If you're having a problem drying out the meat I don't think oil is going to help but perhaps I'm wrong.


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## jasper7 (Jun 8, 2016)

I brush it on while I cook, using a silicone pastry brush.  Helps make chicken skin crispy.


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## mr t 59874 (Jun 8, 2016)

DanielS said:


> Just remember that the EVOO has the strongest olive oil flavor and the flavor diminishes with the later pressings.  That's why EVOO shouldn't be used in salad dressings.  It's too over powering.


Perhaps it could be the quality of the oil being used that makes it overpowering in your opinion. 

Extra-virgin olive oil (sometimes called EVOO) comes from the first pressing of the olives, contains no more than 0.8% acidity, and is judged to have a superior taste. There can be no refined oil in extra-virgin olive oil. This is the healthiest, top of the range of olive oils and should be the oil that graces your salads.

T


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## daniels (Jun 8, 2016)

Mr T 59874 said:


> Perhaps it could be the quality of the oil being used that makes it overpowering in your opinion.
> 
> Extra-virgin olive oil (sometimes called EVOO) comes from the first pressing of the olives, contains no more than 0.8% acidity, and is judged to have a superior taste. There can be no refined oil in extra-virgin olive oil. This is the healthiest, top of the range of olive oils and should be the oil that graces your salads.


T

Nope!  It's a fact.  Not my opinion.  I've heard it on many cooking shows and read it in cookbooks.  Extra Virgin Olive Oil is the strongest tasting and too strong tasting for a salad oil.  If you get used to it and like it that's fine but good EVOO is way too strong tasting for me.

There's nothing actually superior about EVOO to the other pressings except that it's never heated during the pressing.  EVOO is not appropriate for salad dressings.  If you use olive oil for your salad dressing you should use a later pressed olive oil.

Salads and such are why products like this are available:

[h1]Bertolli[emoji]174[/emoji] Extra Light Tasting Olive Oil[/h1]For the benefits of olive oil without the taste,


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## bluewhisper (Jun 8, 2016)

BTW have you tried a Spanish olive oil? It isn't like Greek or Italian; it's green with a different flavor.


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## atomicsmoke (Jun 8, 2016)

If not on salads (and dunking fresh crusty bread in it) what good  a great EVOO is for?

Nothing superior? Most of the good stuff is in EVOO. Actually there are producers that make "free run evoo"...no pressing.  Obviously more expensive.

There is no edible oil coming out from 2nd pressing. It has to be (chemically) refined.

Don't know much about light olive oil except that Bertolli came up with the term and that is mix of oils.

I stopped buying Italian evoo a long time ago after reading reports on counterfeit oil (mafia seems to be involved). 

Greek and Spanish for me.

Blue, Spanish evoo? A treat. Love Nunez de Prado Flor de aceite. Pricey but yummy.


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## daveomak (Jun 8, 2016)

One thing I've heard about Olive Oil is......   because of it's hydrogen bonding or some molecular bonding, it is susceptible to oxidizing REALLY fast....   it can become rancid fast...   and I heard it is suggested it be used within 6 months of manufacture because of this.....  The same for Canola Oil....

Anyone else hear that ??


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## mr t 59874 (Jun 8, 2016)




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## mr t 59874 (Jun 8, 2016)

Not going to thread jack, so suggest to those in doubt, when not on the forum, Google EVOO based salad dressing.

T


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## daniels (Jun 8, 2016)

You'll find all sorts of recipes for salad dressings that use EVOO but it incorrect to do so.  Talk to some culinary school instructors.  Real experts.


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## mr t 59874 (Jun 8, 2016)

DanielS said:


> You'll find all sorts of recipes for salad dressings that use EVOO but it incorrect to do so.  Talk to some culinary school instructors.  Real experts.


 Real experts?  I'll trust my own taste buds, not someone else's, thank you for the advice though.

T


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## atomicsmoke (Jun 8, 2016)

DaveOmak said:


> One thing I've heard about Olive Oil is......   because of it's hydrogen bonding or some molecular bonding, it is susceptible to oxidizing REALLY fast....   it can become rancid fast...   and I heard it is suggested it be used within 6 months of manufacture because of this.....  The same for Canola Oil....
> 
> Anyone else hear that ??


Properly stored it won't. 2-3 years depending on the oil. But is at peak value after extraction (in terms of taste).


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## nopeda (Jun 8, 2016)

DanielS said:


> Just remember that the EVOO has the strongest olive oil flavor and the flavor diminishes with the later pressings.  That's why EVOO shouldn't be used in salad dressings.  It's too over powering.  You may like it on meat though.
> 
> Personally, I prefer peanut oil.  Nice mild flavor.  Chicken fried in peanut oil is fantastic, IMHO.
> 
> ...


Thanks to all of you for your helpful suggestions! The friend who made the suggestion to me about olive oil said it would help retain moisture, make the skin less crisp, and wouldn't add any noticeable flavor. So if you don't want the skin more crisp, which I don't, what's the advantage in using any oil at all?

And mustard? From my experience with mustard it seems that would add a *lot**  *of flavor that most people wouldn't want. I don't get it...


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## sfprankster (Jun 8, 2016)

...


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## hdbrs (Jun 8, 2016)

I remember watching a documentary about olive oil and how crooked the whole business was, esp olive oil from overseas. I bought some olive oil off amazon from California and it is completely different in taste and color than the stuff I was buying from the supermarket. It's almost a green color, but expensive too. I really like it


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## sfprankster (Jun 8, 2016)

...


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## daniels (Jun 8, 2016)

“Extra-virgin olive oil contains bitter tasting polyphenols coated by fatty acids, which prevent them from dispersing. If the oil is emulsified in a food processor, these polyphenols get squeezed out and the liquid mix turns bitter.

The magazine (Cook's Illustrated) further claims this is only a problem when mixing dressing or mayo, because in pesto the other ingredients as nuts and cheese are robust enough to cope with it. This is where I (Nicky) disagree; I rarely prepare pesto with extra-virgin olive oil in the food processor anymore – because of the indeed noticeable bitter outcome”

In case you're not familiar with Cook's Illustrated, they're the ones that run their kitchens like laboratories.

From a Chowhound user under Bitter EVOO, "Hmmm, it is kind of a "green" bitter. My husband even noticed the bitterness last night and was unhappy (and his tastes aren't that sharp).

I've used it for cooking and haven't noticed any problems, but I have noticed a bitterness with salad dressings and just now I was able to put my finger on it when I dipped a piece of bread in it. It's just very sharp, if that makes sense. Unpleansantly so, for me.

I love a strong olive oil taste - do you have any suggestions for a good flavor with no bitterness?"

EVOO has too low a smoke point for serious frying.

I'll dip bread in EVOO with coarse ground black pepper at a restaurant if they don't serve real butter but I don't have much use for EVOO at home.

YMMV.


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