Cooking With Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Posted by Michael Paz on

For centuries, people in every corner of the globe have used olive oil as a multi-purpose culinary ingredient. Cooking with extra virgin olive oil is a great way to add extra dimension and flavor to any dish. It amplifies the taste of your ingredients while also incorporating healthy fats into your diet.

At Texana Brands, producing the highest-quality extra virgin olive oil and educating consumers about the benefits of cooking with it is our goal.

In this blog, our experts will discuss:

  • Cooking with extra virgin olive oil
  • Baking with EVOO
  • Common EVOO cooking misconceptions
  • Traditional Texas-style recipes to cook using extra virgin olive oil

Table of Contents:

  1. Cooking With Extra Virgin Olive Oil 
  2. Baking With Extra Virgin Olive Oil
  3. Common EVOO Cooking Misconceptions 
  4. Traditional Texas Recipes Made Perfect with EVOO
  5. Chicken Fried Steak
  6. Tex-Mex
  7. Barbecue
  8. Chili
  9. Tacos
  10. Conclusion 

People Also Ask:

Is extra virgin olive oil toxic when heated?

No. Applying heat when cooking with extra virgin olive oil won’t make this dietary fat toxic. In fact, EVOO is so rich in natural vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants that heat has a limited impact on its benefits. 

Why do chefs cook with extra virgin olive oil?

Many chefs use EVOO when cooking because it’s versatile and easy to cook with. It also contains healthy monounsaturated fatty acids, has low free fatty acid levels, and is rich in antioxidants. 

Can you pan fry with extra virgin olive oil?

Yes! Extra virgin olive oil is perfect for pan-frying. 

Cooking With Extra Virgin Olive Oil 

Cooking with extra virgin olive oil is easy, making it a common staple in many restaurants and households. It's also a versatile cooking oil.

EVOO is perfect for:

  • Cooking
  • Baking
  • Sautéing
  • Marinating
  • Frying
  • Dressing
  • Poaching

We encourage you to experiment with different techniques using extra virgin olive oil to enhance your next dish and cooking experience!

Baking With Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Extra virgin olive oil can provide a healthier alternative when baking and add a wonderful twist of flavor to any baked good. Replacing butter with EVOO is an easy way to reduce your saturated fat intake and cut down calories without compromising taste. 

When baking: Determine how much butter you need and replace it with the correct amount of 100% extra virgin olive oil from Texana Brands!

Common EVOO Cooking Misconceptions 

Some people believe that higher-quality extra virgin olive oil can only be used raw, mainly used as a salad dressing or finishing dishes.

There is a common misconception that using heat when cooking with extra virgin olive oil eliminates:

  • Natural flavors
  • Vitamins
  • Minerals
  • Health benefits

The fact is this misconception is a myth. There continues to be no real evidence to back up this belief.

Traditional Texas Recipes Made Perfect with EVOO

Texas is world-famous for a lot of things, including its food. There's no denying that there are many recipes that automatically make you think of the Lone Star State while enjoying them.

As native Texans, we've grown up with a culinary culture that's diverse, rich, and uniquely flavorful. At Texana Brands, we believe everyone should experience the dynamic tastes of Texas with our olive oil products.

Here are some famous Texas recipes that taste fantastic with extra virgin olive oil:

Chicken Fried Steak

Chicken Fried Steak is a Texas favorite and with good reason. This savory dish includes a pan-fried, battered steak.

The steak is typically:

  • Dipped in an egg and milk wash
  • Dredged in flour
  • Fried in a skillet

The steak is then smothered in gravy, made complete with some fried okra and mashed potatoes on the side. With a dish like this, you can't go wrong bringing out even more taste with extra virgin olive oil!

At Texana Brands, we have a wide variety of extra virgin olive oils naturally infused with traditional Texas-style flavors. 

Try our Country Herb, Roasted Garlic or Roasted Onion infused EVOO with your chicken fried steak next time!

Tex-Mex

Tex-Mex is the delicious combination of Texan and Mexican culinary cultures. This combination started when Texas residents brought their favorite Mexican recipes home with food dishes they had easy access to, like flour and beef.

Examples of Tex-Mex include:

  • Fajitas
  • Nachos
  • Seasoned Meat (beef, chicken, pork)
  • Black Beans
  • Wheat and Corn Flour
  • Vegetables
  • Yellow Cheese

Texana Brand's signature infused extra virgin olive oils pair perfectly with Tex-Mex and other southwest-style dishes. 

Many customers love our Smokey Mesquite, Hatch Chile, and Fresh Jalapeño flavors for grilling veggies and meat. They also make for great meat marinades! 

Barbecue

If you didn't know already, Texas is all about the BBQ! One barbecue technique requires a long smoking process (6-12 hours). This gives the meat tenderness and a rich smokey flavor that creates the perfect mouth-watering balance that Texas-style barbecue is famous for.

Traditional Texas BBQ recipes include:

  • Ribs
  • Sausages
  • Briskets

When it comes to barbecue, cooking with extra virgin olive oil infusions and your choice of meat is a match made in heaven.

Our infused olive oils make perfect meat marinades, from Smokey Mesquite and Spicy Sriracha to Cajun Heat and Country Herb! 

Chili

When you pair any Texana Brands infused olive oil with your favorite Texas-style chili recipe, you can expect a truly savory dish! For cooking and seasoning your meat, try our Roasted Garlic and Roasted Onion flavors.

Planning on using a crockpot? No problem! You can easily enhance your ingredients by simply adding your favorite Texana Brands infused olive oils to the mix!

Tacos

Just about everyone loves tacos, especially Texans. Portable, versatile, and easy to eat quickly, tacos are made with flour and corn tortillas. They're also unique, as you can put just about anything eatable inside a taco shell.

With extra virgin olive oil, you can:

  • Grill and/or marinate your meat
  • Grill and/or sauté your vegetables
  • Cook the taco shells

Enhance your taco preparation and eating experience with any one of our naturally infused olive oils!

Conclusion

Cooking with extra virgin olive oil can not only help amplify taste and your ingredients; it can also enhance your overall cooking experience. Whether you’re grilling or baking, adding extra virgin olive oil into the equation will have benefits that go well beyond just taste and nutrition.

Are you ready to discover what cooking with extra virgin olive oil can do for you?

Click here to check out our signature Texana Brands products!