I've recently bought a Thermoworks IR thermometer. I'm hoping to use it with my pan when frying meats, to get more ideal temperatures.
There's plenty of content online about what the internal temperature of the food should be (e.g. http://www.thermoworks.com/blog/2010/10/chef-recommended-tw-approved/).
However, there doesn't seem to be anything online on what actual quantifiable temperature the pan should be (it's all very unscientific - e.g. hold your hand over the pan, does it feel hot? Can you hold it there for 3 seconds?)
I know that the actual number will probably depend on a number of factors (e.g. type and cut of meat, equipment etc.). However, it'd be good to get a rough idea of the range for the pan's surface temperature I should be aiming for.
The pan I have is a Scanpan non-stick pan, reasonably thick (similar to http://www.amazon.com/Scanpan-Professional-12-5-Inch-Fry-Pan/dp/B000NI6DMS), and I'm using grape-seed oil.
The meats I'm frying are things like kangaroo burger patties (http://gourmetgame.com.au/products/kangaroo/), or chicken breast pieces.
Would 250 C be too hot? Lower?
How about frying eggs?
(I wish there was a table, like there was for internal meat temperatures...haha).