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After I sear a steak the exterior sides and bottom of my stainless steel pan get coated with what looks like burned oil.
I usually let it cool down, then fill with the soapy water for overnight soaking. Only to find all the exterior stained in the morning.
I am puzzled how that happens: I’m using a splatter screen and while cooking the exterior does not seem dirty.
The blackening on the exterior of your pan begins with the polymerization of oils, which sometimes spill over, but often times collect there as a result of being aerosolized while you are cooking. This happens whether or not use use a splash screen. To have any luck cleaning this, you have to get it right after cooking, and you have to work at it quite a bit with an abrasive cleaner. When it first appears, if you catch it before burning, it is usually brown. After a couple of uses (or high heat, long enough) it will blacken and be even more difficult to remove. Some folks like a shiny exterior and will work at this diligently after each use. Personally, I don't give the exterior of my pans much attention. For the stainless ones, the inside is shiny and clean, the exterior is black and not so pretty to look at. I don't find it impacts the functionality at all.
Every so often I have a go at my pans' exteriors. [Mostly I don't bother but sometimes a bit of OCD kicks in]
Barkeeper's Friend, either a Brillo [steel wool pad] or if you don't want scratches several melamine sponges… plus two hours of scrubbing. Scraping at heavier bits with a fingernail helps.
Alternatively, for uncoated pans like stainless steel, a good oven cleaner, left to soak for four hours or so [don't let it dry out]. Periodically scrape or brush with your dish wash brush & re-apply.
