The Joy of Cast Iron
Published March 17, 2008
I am a staunch supporter of and advocate for cooking on cast iron cookware. I own half a dozen pans and use them almost daily.
Cast iron cookware has been around for hundreds of years. The same reasons that made it popular 200 years ago make it popular today. It is durable, non-toxic, non-stick, heats evenly, and retains heat well.
There are styles of cast iron for almost every type of cooking. When most people think of cast iron, they think of the old black fry pan their grandmothers would use to make bacon and eggs. Though the cast iron skillet is still one of the most traditional of cast iron vessels, it isn't the only choice. There are square skillets, Dutch ovens, casserole dishes, griddles, and deep fryers. I own one, and in some cases several, of each.
There are many makes of cast iron. Wagner and Lodge are probably the two best known. It really doesn't matter which one you buy; they are all pretty much the same.
There are two main types of cast iron cookware: enameled and non-enameled. Today I will discuss only the non-enameled variety. I will say, though, the porcelain enameled variety is very good for Dutch ovens because the enamel coating prevents rust, eliminates the need for seasoning, and allows you to cook more corrosive foods, such as tomatoes.
The fist thing you have to do before you use your cast iron cookware is season it. This is the process that bonds oil into the cast iron to build the non-stick surface. Much cast iron now comes pre-seasoned. Though this is a great advancement in cast iron cookware, I would still season it again before use.
Non pre-seasoned cast iron will come from the factory light grey in color and with a thin waxy coating on it. This should be removed by scrubbing with warm water and a brush or the rough side of a sponge. Dry the cast iron and then coat the pan, inside and out, with a thin layer of vegetable shortening or lard. Place the pan in your oven at 250-300 degrees for 90 minutes. Turn off the oven and allow the iron to cool to room temperature. Remove the pan and wipe off any excess fat.
After this process, the cast iron should be ready for use. It will have turned from grey to light brown. Continued use will make the pan the familiar black color we all know and love.
Once seasoned, a cast iron skillet is ideal for cooking eggs, sautéing onions, or any application you would normally use a non-stick pan for. Because cast iron holds heat so well, it also ideal for searing and cooking at very high heat. It can also be taken right from stovetop to the oven, and is oven-safe to about 850 degrees.
There are a few drawbacks to cast iron. You should avoid cooking reactive or acidic foods in cast iron. Tomato dishes, for example, will start to break down the non-stick coating. If you should choose to cook tomatoes in your cast iron you will have to re-season.
- The Joy of Cast Iron
- Published: March 17, 2008
- Type: Opinion
- Section: Tastes
- Filed Under: Tastes: Recipe, Tastes: Food and Drink, Culture: Home and Garden
- Writer: Tom Bux
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Comments on this articleComments
in fact, i will be making hash tonight in my big cast iron skillet (because the wife hates corned beef by itself). i tell you, it's the way to go.
and i know want lisa means about the weight. man, we have one of those french enameled dutch ovens (great for making marinara) that i leave in the cupboard when my back is acting up.
The newest piece to our collection we got from QVC. It is a Paula Deen 12" deep fryer.
We weighed it when it arrived. It alone weighs 12 pounds!!
i also have one of those cast flattop things: flat on one side, raised on the others. man, i love that thing, but getting it back into the storage bin on the bottom of the stove...it's a tricky little exercise.
I used castiron for many years, carefully seasoning the surface after baking the raw skillet to drive off the oils. But eventually I switched to very heavy stainless steel for two reasons: sauteeing tomatoes and such would erode the seasoning, and difficulty of using a dishwasher. I'm very happy with the SS stuff, it looks good, works like castiron, and I got them for about $15 each by selective shopping at Marshalls and Ross. I also managed to get nice glasstops with non-metallic handles.
Nowadays I always install a flattop electric stove and I use a remote Infrared thermometer to ensure repeatable temperature results. The SS looks great sitting on that flattop ready to go to work.
Yes, I used to be a gas fanatic. But no longer. the electric is easier to set at a correct temp for each requirement, and the nunmeric setting is reproducible. Plus, that flattop is SO easy to clean!
I LOVE the sight of my 4 gleaming pots and sautee pans sitting on the gleaming clean flattop ready to go!
infrared thermometer? geebies.
yeah, i guess i can't argue with the "repeatable results" thing but what about fast temperature adjustments? you're in the middle of a saute and want to crank it up for a bit to carmelize something...and then back off. i always thought electrics reacted too slowly.
by the way, the corned beef hash came out nice 'n crunchy last night. you're right tom, cast iron rules!
I'm with Mark on the electric. I have electric, and have cooked on gas. Though it takes getting used to, I always preferred the fast, even, and reliable heat of gas.
Plus you can use it to toast marshmallows.
Only problem I have with electric is that it's hard to sear meat (which I eat little of anyway) and it's hard to make stir fry.
I love my cast iron, some of them have been with me for decades. I remember the cheap teflon coated pans of my early adulthood, the instant coffee of cookware.
Supposed to be better, but actually suck badly.
Nothing beats a well seasoned iron skillet. Once you understand that even the toughest stuck food (crusty corned beef hash) will release a half minute or so after turning off the heat, you're golden.
Nice article Tom!
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Tom, interesting article on cast iron cookware. I recently bought a 6.5 quart enameled cast iron Dutch oven, and while I love cooking in it, I have to say that its weight is somewhat of a drawback (the shipping weight on this piece, according to Wal-Mart, is just over 19 pounds!). It's probably the one thing that prevents me from buying more cast iron cookware (although I suspect a small skillet is in my future).
Oh, and anyone who owns a Capresso coffeemaker clearly knows their stuff.