Cast Iron

[Sunni Man]

Why's that???

Plastic won't scratch the metal like a steel pad, which could lead to excessive rusting of the pan. ....

 

[Muhammed]

Never start cooking in a cold cast iron skillet, be sure to let it heat up first.

 

[Disir]

I oil mine after washing. I don't have to heat them up every time.

Interesting....I had thought they needed 'dried' before oiling.


What about the things you cook in them? I'm leery of cooking spicy or acidic types of foods that the flavors could be absorbed

I had one that wanted me to dry in an oven for 30 minutes. The second set said nothing about drying and it has been good.

Bacon and Potato Frittata

How to Make Classic Cassoulet - FineCooking

19 Recipes to Make the Most Out of Your Cast Iron Skillet

I also use mine to fry chicken. What I have found is that using other skillets to sear, brown or even fry the meat there tends to be a lot of water that is released and then it's like steaming. Cast iron cooks more evenly. I don't put anything tomato based in cast iron because...............I'm skeered, too.

 

[JustAnotherNut]

orgreenic cookware - Google Search

Lately I've been using 9x9 aluminum for cornbread. Greased up Grandma's skillet and put it up.

I've eaten many a meal out of that skillet, but there's better ways now.

Now why did you go and do that?

Don't try to fix something that's not broken

 

[Sunni Man]

I am considering buying the new Field skillet pan.

Expensive but less weight, smoother surface with smaller pores for easier cleaning, and American made. ....

Field Company: Lighter, Smoother Cast Iron

 

[ozro]

Interesting thread. I use exclusively cast iron, stainless or glass cookware. I do not season all my pans the same, i oil and glaze my dutch ovens, I season but do not glaze my stovetop fry pans and griddle. I glaze but do not season my saucepans.
I also cook on a woodstove that provides heat in the winter, which makes it simple to rehabilitate any cast iron.
The basics:

Heat the cast iron by burying in hot coals until it burns off any glaze and oil trapped in the iron
Cool, clean and polish the interior cooking surfaces
Heat and apply your chosen oil(i use lard, homegrown)
Keep the pan at a low temp and keep oiling until the pores are full.
If all you want is season, your done.
If you want a glaze, oil heavily and turn up the heat and cook the oil to a glaze.

Hope that helps, sorry to be long winded...cast iron cooking is a passion of mine. I compete locally in dutch oven cookoffs. I'll brag a bit and tell you i took second prize for my sweet and sour pork, and first for my stuffed pumpkin desert last fall in st johns.

 

[Disir]

Heat the cast iron by burying in hot coals

I'm out.

 

[Marion Morrison]

orgreenic cookware - Google Search

Lately I've been using 9x9 aluminum for cornbread. Greased up Grandma's skillet and put it up.

I've eaten many a meal out of that skillet, but there's better ways now.

Now why did you go and do that?

Don't try to fix something that's not broken

I ate Fried Chicken out of a cast iron skillet most every Sunday, because that's how my mama rolled.

 

[Sunni Man]

Interesting thread. I use exclusively cast iron, stainless or glass cookware. I do not season all my pans the same, i oil and glaze my dutch ovens, I season but do not glaze my stovetop fry pans and griddle. I glaze but do not season my saucepans.
I also cook on a woodstove that provides heat in the winter, which makes it simple to rehabilitate any cast iron.
The basics:

Heat the cast iron by burying in hot coals until it burns off any glaze and oil trapped in the iron
Cool, clean and polish the interior cooking surfaces
Heat and apply your chosen oil(i use lard, homegrown)
Keep the pan at a low temp and keep oiling until the pores are full.
If all you want is season, your done.
If you want a glaze, oil heavily and turn up the heat and cook the oil to a glaze.

Hope that helps, sorry to be long winded...cast iron cooking is a passion of mine. I compete locally in dutch oven cookoffs. I'll brag a bit and tell you i took second prize for my sweet and sour pork, and first for my stuffed pumpkin desert last fall in st johns.

You brought up a great point.

New cast iron cookware is coated with machine oil to keep it from rusting during shipping and storage to the store shelf. So the first thing a person needs to do is heat the pan for couple of hours to burn off the oil coating. Best to do outside or in a well ventilated area of the kitchen because the fumes can be pretty stinky. ....

 

[ozro]

And eventually you burn the bottom or scrub the glaze off or just oughta clean that pan.
I have found old iron out on the range and rehabilitate d it this way.

 

[JustAnotherNut]

I oil mine after washing. I don't have to heat them up every time.

Interesting....I had thought they needed 'dried' before oiling.


What about the things you cook in them? I'm leery of cooking spicy or acidic types of foods that the flavors could be absorbed

I had one that wanted me to dry in an oven for 30 minutes. The second set said nothing about drying and it has been good.

Bacon and Potato Frittata

How to Make Classic Cassoulet - FineCooking

19 Recipes to Make the Most Out of Your Cast Iron Skillet

I also use mine to fry chicken. What I have found is that using other skillets to sear, brown or even fry the meat there tends to be a lot of water that is released and then it's like steaming. Cast iron cooks more evenly. I don't put anything tomato based in cast iron because...............I'm skeered, too.

Yeah, I'm not so sure about cooking certain foods in it either, and use other pans in such a case.

I did make the mistake of cooking a marinaded steak in it the other day, but was only a quick pan fry on both sides......then I scrubbed it out immediately so hopefully it didn't effect it.

 

[Disir]

I oil mine after washing. I don't have to heat them up every time.

Interesting....I had thought they needed 'dried' before oiling.


What about the things you cook in them? I'm leery of cooking spicy or acidic types of foods that the flavors could be absorbed

I had one that wanted me to dry in an oven for 30 minutes. The second set said nothing about drying and it has been good.

Bacon and Potato Frittata

How to Make Classic Cassoulet - FineCooking

19 Recipes to Make the Most Out of Your Cast Iron Skillet

I also use mine to fry chicken. What I have found is that using other skillets to sear, brown or even fry the meat there tends to be a lot of water that is released and then it's like steaming. Cast iron cooks more evenly. I don't put anything tomato based in cast iron because...............I'm skeered, too.

Yeah, I'm not so sure about cooking certain foods in it either, and use other pans in such a case.

I did make the mistake of cooking a marinaded steak in it the other day, but was only a quick pan fry on both sides......then I scrubbed it out immediately so hopefully it didn't effect it.

How was the steak?

I'm not so much scared of a marinade because it's in and out. I am wary of cooking something for one and half hours like tomato sauce though.

 

[JustAnotherNut]

Interesting thread. I use exclusively cast iron, stainless or glass cookware. I do not season all my pans the same, i oil and glaze my dutch ovens, I season but do not glaze my stovetop fry pans and griddle. I glaze but do not season my saucepans.
I also cook on a woodstove that provides heat in the winter, which makes it simple to rehabilitate any cast iron.
The basics:

Heat the cast iron by burying in hot coals until it burns off any glaze and oil trapped in the iron
Cool, clean and polish the interior cooking surfaces
Heat and apply your chosen oil(i use lard, homegrown)
Keep the pan at a low temp and keep oiling until the pores are full.
If all you want is season, your done.
If you want a glaze, oil heavily and turn up the heat and cook the oil to a glaze.

Hope that helps, sorry to be long winded...cast iron cooking is a passion of mine. I compete locally in dutch oven cookoffs. I'll brag a bit and tell you i took second prize for my sweet and sour pork, and first for my stuffed pumpkin desert last fall in st johns.

That is exactly what I was looking for, so thank you for the information.

You say 'rehabilitate'......do you mean taking an old rusty pan or pot and making it usable again, by using that method??? I just want to be sure I am understanding what you're saying here. Because I have seen old cast iron pans at thrift stores & garage sales, but I've always steered clear for fear of what may have been cooked in them, or how they've been cared for.

 

[ozro]

Yes, rehabiltate old rusty pans you may find, or clean yours if you get something burned to it, or just need to clean it .

 

[JustAnotherNut]

I oil mine after washing. I don't have to heat them up every time.

Interesting....I had thought they needed 'dried' before oiling.


What about the things you cook in them? I'm leery of cooking spicy or acidic types of foods that the flavors could be absorbed

I had one that wanted me to dry in an oven for 30 minutes. The second set said nothing about drying and it has been good.

Bacon and Potato Frittata

How to Make Classic Cassoulet - FineCooking

19 Recipes to Make the Most Out of Your Cast Iron Skillet

I also use mine to fry chicken. What I have found is that using other skillets to sear, brown or even fry the meat there tends to be a lot of water that is released and then it's like steaming. Cast iron cooks more evenly. I don't put anything tomato based in cast iron because...............I'm skeered, too.

Yeah, I'm not so sure about cooking certain foods in it either, and use other pans in such a case.

I did make the mistake of cooking a marinaded steak in it the other day, but was only a quick pan fry on both sides......then I scrubbed it out immediately so hopefully it didn't effect it.

How was the steak?

I'm not so much scared of a marinade because it's in and out. I am wary of cooking something for one and half hours like tomato sauce though.

It was great.....as street tacos. The marinade was just taco seasoning, fresh lime juice & zest, a bit of ACV, onions, garlic and cilantro. I did scrape much of it off before cooking the steak, then heated the marinade in a separate pan. After cutting the steak into pieces I put it into the marinade pan and stirred to coat well, put a scoop on each tortilla, topped with fresh onions.

 

[Pogo]

Does anyone here have cast iron cookware that can give me some tips on how to care for it properly?

I do know it's porous and should not be washed with soap......only scrubbed & well rinsed in water, then set on a hot burner or in a hot oven to dry thoroughly.

Wash it and grease it with lard or bacon grease.

Only thing I use it for anymore is cornbread. Since the Orgreenic, cornbread is the only thing it sees. You have to grease the pan for cornbread. -fact.

I usually use butter for pre-cornbread.

What is 'Orgreenic'???


Cornbread was the first thing I used it for....best kind

"Orgreenic" is one of the new technology pans that is ceramic, frying eggs roll around like magic. I don't have to wash spatulas, I just flip them with the pan.

Best gift my aunt ever gave me.

I already do that with Teflon.

 

[JustAnotherNut]

orgreenic cookware - Google Search

Lately I've been using 9x9 aluminum for cornbread. Greased up Grandma's skillet and put it up.

I've eaten many a meal out of that skillet, but there's better ways now.

Now why did you go and do that?

Don't try to fix something that's not broken

I ate Fried Chicken out of a cast iron skillet most every Sunday, because that's how my mama rolled.

So why did you 'put it up'???? I'm sure that skillet can still cook a mean meal anyday

 

[JustAnotherNut]

Never start cooking in a cold cast iron skillet, be sure to let it heat up first.

Yes, I learned that's the best way with most any pans, is to heat them up first.

 

[Sunni Man]

I already do that with Teflon.

I do not cook with any pans coated with teflon.

Just too worried about the potential health hazards. ....

 

[JustAnotherNut]

Does anyone here have cast iron cookware that can give me some tips on how to care for it properly?

I do know it's porous and should not be washed with soap......only scrubbed & well rinsed in water, then set on a hot burner or in a hot oven to dry thoroughly.

Wash it and grease it with lard or bacon grease.

Only thing I use it for anymore is cornbread. Since the Orgreenic, cornbread is the only thing it sees. You have to grease the pan for cornbread. -fact.

I usually use butter for pre-cornbread.

What is 'Orgreenic'???


Cornbread was the first thing I used it for....best kind

"Orgreenic" is one of the new technology pans that is ceramic, frying eggs roll around like magic. I don't have to wash spatulas, I just flip them with the pan.

Best gift my aunt ever gave me.

I already do that with Teflon.

I do have one small Teflon fry pan left, that I only use for eggs.

but it's not good for you