The Old Reliable- A Cast Iron Skillet
Dec 04 '00
Beginning cooks are often swamped with advice and also with exotic cookware and accessories for their kitchen. There are, of course, wonderful items to add to the cooking experience,but for the true beginner, the one essential I recommend and often give is the old-fashioned cast iron skillet.
By skillet, I don't mean the shallow frying pan so often seen in sets. Technically, this item is often called a "fried chicken pan", because at about 2 inches deep, it can be used for frying in oil. It's not quite a "deep fryer" but serves nearly the same purpose.
Versatility is one of the reasons this is such an important utensil to own. It can serve as a standard frying pan for bacon or eggs, a suate pan for veggies or whatever, a shallow fryer, and be used as a grill for pancakes and french toast. Add a lid, and it becomes a small stove-top oven for pot roasts and stews and fricassees. A lid is really not an option-if yours doesn't come with one, glass lids in most sizes can be found anywhere cookware is sold. A cast iron lid is desirable if you plan to take this camping. Not only is it far less fragile, but hot coals can be placed on top for better cooking and baking.
Cast iron is an outdoor favorite. Its thick walls stand up well to open fires and cooking on hot coals. Those same thick walls provide even heat distribution on your gas or electric range. A well-seasoned cast iron skillet is also fairly easy to clean in the wild, and much more durable than non-stick surfaces.
Spoiled by Teflon and other non-stick surfaces? You'll find that a prepared cast iron surface doesn't stick much more. Seasoning is key-your pan will likely have instructions on it, but if not it's simple. You can't just take the pan home and flop it on the range. First, scrub it thoroughly to remove any protective coating. Use soap bads and lots of elbow grease, then rinse and dry completely. One simple method to season is to then rub the entire pan with a coating of vegetable oil, and bake in a 250F oven for about an hour. Let cool, wipe and use. The coating should be very thin-wipe off any excess before baking.
I've also seasoned used pans picked up at resale shops by cleaning, drying, and oiling the inside only, then placing on the burner at very low heat for about 20 minutes. This method is good to re-season a pan than has been long disused or has been exposed to detergent. To protect seasoning, rinse pan after use with hot water, and wipe out with a dry cloth or paper towel. Only use detergent for truly burned-on food residue-water should do it. At a minimum, if you do use detergent, dry the pan and apply and wipe off a tiny bit of oil.
You may even use the skillet as a roast pan. It's nice to brown a roast on the burner to sear it, then transfer to the oven to finish-no additional pan needed. Southern cornbread is traditionally baked in cast iron, and still tastes best to me that way. We also use it for frittatas, cooking the bottom on the burner, and placing under the broiler to brown the top.
Cast iron also has a small health benefit-when an acidic food is cooked in it (for example, tomatoes), a small amount of iron is dissolved in the food. You'll never notice or taste any different, but you get the benefit of this essential nutrient. Don't worry about the pan dissolving away-amounts are microscopic. It could also be used for self-defense to whack a kitchen invader-these things are really heavy!
After seasoning, the only special care is keeping the thing dry.It is iron and can rust. If it does rust a bit, don't despair- an oiled cloth will usually wipe away a tiny amount, and a more serious rust can be "Brillo-ed" off,and the pan re-seasoned. Pretty miserable looking garage sale refugee pans can be scrubbed and seasoned into jewels.
Ever have a "cremated food" disaster? A cast iron pan can be saved by spraying with oven cleaner, and popping into the oven when it is cleaned. When cool, clean and re-season. Try doing that with a fancy non-stick pan! (Actually, don't try it-some non-stick surfaces release toxic fumes at oven cleaning temperatures!)
Cast iron can break,if dropped on a hard surface and if it's in the mood to break. This is very rare indeed-the things are quite sturdy. It's also heavy, a relative drawback for those with weak wrists. Special oven-mitt type handle covers are a convenience, but don't leave them on during cooking or baking. I do not recommend cast iron pans that come with wooden handles. It looks like a good idea, but there are too many problems. Durability of these wooden handles is poor, and you can't put them in the oven.
To a non-stick generation, the little bit of extra effort to season these pans may seem like a lot, but considering how durable and versatile they are, it's a small price to pay. Cast iron is still a bargain. A 10" or 12" pan is under $20 nearly anywhere- check camping and sporting goods store prices as well as cookware sections of department and discount stores. They will last nearly for ever, and you may well use yours nearly every day. I have one pan I've been using for over 30 years, just as serviceable as when it was new. A 6" or 8" size is also nice to have for the smaller household, or just as a supplement to the big one. Except for outdoor cooking, I like using a Pyrex lid to spy on the covered cooking process. No special utensils are needed-scrape happily with a metal spatula without a care.
I have lots of high-tech and exotic kitchen equipment,which I also use and love, but if I had to pick the single most useful thing in the kitchen,it would be that cast iron pan. It should be the first thing you acquire, and may be the last thing you have to replace. Happy cooking.
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foxfroggy
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Member: Pat Fox
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Cat-loving bookish Texan. Equal time for sushi, barbecue, classical music and classical hard rock.
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