Steel-cut oats (US), also called pinhead oats, coarse oatmeal (UK),[1][2] or Irish oatmeal, are groats (the inner kernel with the inedible hull removed) of whole oats which have been chopped into two or three pinhead-sized pieces (hence the names; "steel-cut" comes from the steel blades).[3] The pieces can then be sold, or processed further to make rolled oat flakes, of smaller size than flakes of whole groats.[4] Steel-cutting produces oatmeal with a chewier and coarser texture than other processes.
Steel-cut oats, and other types, are traditionally used to make porridge. They take longer to cook than instant, ground, or rolled oats, typically 15–30 minutes for porridge (or about half this time if pre-soaked). Steel-cut oats are described as being nuttier and chewier than other types of oats.[5] They can be used to make oatcakes, blended uncooked in smoothies and for other culinary purposes.
- ^ "All About Oats". AHDB Cereals & Oilseeds. Retrieved 6 December 2020.
- ^ "Hamlyns Pinhead Oatmeal". Hamlyns of Scotland. Retrieved 6 December 2020.
Pinhead Oatmeal is the most traditional oatmeal. It's made from the whole grain, with just the outer husk removed, before the inner groat is cut into three pieces.
- ^ Tatum, Malcolm (9 November 2020). "What are Steel Cut Oats?". wisegeek.com. Retrieved 6 December 2020.
- ^ "Oat Milling Process". North American Millers' Association. Retrieved 6 December 2020.
- ^ "For best oatmeal taste, be patient". Consumer Reports. November 2008. Archived from the original on 21 October 2012.