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I need to fry some ground beef with some spices (black pepper, mustard seeds, cumin, cinnamon, salt, garlic, onion). I have olive oil and also almond oil. What are the relative strengths and weaknesses of each for this purpose?

Kim Silverman
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  • Related: http://cooking.stackexchange.com/questions/23013/what-oils-are-suitable-for-indian-cooking-i-e-extended-frying-duration – SAJ14SAJ Nov 10 '13 at 04:09
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    If it is Extra Virgin Olive Oil, don't waste it by heating it up when frying. Ground beef will produce plenty of heat conducting liquid. Almond oil is expensive. If you enjoy the flavor of either oil, add it after frying. – Optionparty Nov 10 '13 at 13:43

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Technically, either would work. Almond oil has a higher smoke point (495° F, vs. 350° for olive oil), but the flavor of olive oil would probably be a better fit with those spices.

However, for ground beef (unless it's extra-lean, which I wouldn't use for this), it should have enough fat on its own. If it looks like it's drying out while cooking, add a couple tablespoons of water instead.

Jeremy Nikolai
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