Kitchen Tool School: All About the Amazing Cast Iron Frying Pan
If it wasn’t already clear from the title of this blog, we love pans, especially cast iron pans. If you don’t have one or (or haven’t used yours yet), this is why you should start cooking with it regularly.
Let’s start with a few reasons we love cast iron pans. Firstly, they are inexpensive to buy and are suitable for almost all cooking and baking applications. From an environmental point of view, they are free of chemical coatings and actually add iron to food (which is good). Best of all, a well-groomed skillet will stay with you longer than your life partner, and if you use it correctly, it will only get better with age and time.
During cooking, oil sticks to the surface of the cast iron, making the surface more non-stick. This process is known as seasoning. In a well-seasoned skillet, you can actually cook with less oil than in a regular skillet, and the more you cook with cast iron, the better it will work.
How to buy the perfect cast iron skillet
The best cast iron pans have been passed down from generation to generation because they have had decades to develop an almost non-stick seasoning layer. If you don’t have them in your household, you can find them by buying a few hundred dollars from sites like eBay. These pieces were made in solid rather than sandy molds and polished after casting – a process that is no longer used today.
If you don’t have hundreds of dollars to spend on antique cast iron, that’s fine too. Today’s largest manufacturer, Lodge, makes frying pans that will set you back $ 25 on Amazon (though here’s a tip: you can choose your own for $ 20 at any Target). Any brand will do, but make sure you buy a heavy and thick skillet.
How to care for cast iron
A newly purchased cast iron skillet, even if pre-seasoned, will not have good non-stick qualities. Be sure to clean it thoroughly, rub it with hot water and salt, then season several times by heating on a large burner to dry, use a towel to soak the surface with oil, and place it in a hot oven for 20 minutes. up to 30 minutes. Cook often with it, and with a little patience, you will begin to see better non-stick results.
Cast iron cookware must be cleaned correctly . After you’ve cooked it, rinse it off with hot water by rubbing it with a brush (or shake generously with kosher salt if you need more friction). No soap is necessary, but you can use it if you really want to . Most importantly, never leave dishes in the sink. It will rust. Instead, dry it immediately and then place it on the hotplate to evaporate the moisture. When it’s completely dry, add a few drops of oil (use one with a high smoke point) and massage the oil with a towel until you’ve wiped off any excess oil from the pan. Watch the video above to see the process in action.
How to cook on cast iron
Pretty much anything you want to do – broiling, braising, baking, roasting, braising – works best with cast iron cookware. Perfectly sized and shaped cast iron pans for single-pan cooking such as deep pizzas, pan tarts and cobblers. They’re also deep enough and thick enough for deep-frying, so start perfecting your pan-fried chicken skills. Cast iron, which has conductive heat, can get very hot, which stainless steel cannot, which means there is no better way to toast a thick steak or toast a pizza well .
One note: unless your cast iron is seasoned well, acidic foods like tomato sauce, wine, and citrus juices are not suitable for your cast iron. If they are going to cook in your skillet for a long time, they will most likely give your food a metallic taste and create a spotty, dry, light colored surface. If this happens to you, rebuild your skillet by re-cooking it until the surface is black and smooth again.
Store your pan safely
Cast iron works best if it’s used frequently, but make sure it’s cleaned, seasoned, and cooled before putting it away. If you need to store it for a long time, try covering it with coffee filters before putting it away. If you’ve stored it improperly and found it to be rusty, repair it with vinegar (or, in severe cases, oven cleaner ). You may find that it has lost the seasoning and will need to clean it from scratch, but even in the worst scenarios, you never have to go out and buy another cast iron skillet.