cooking with cast iron
paulwheaton
17 years ago
Featured Answer
Sort by:Oldest
Comments (83)
blondelle
17 years agolast modified: 9 years agodanab_z9_la
17 years agolast modified: 9 years agoRelated Discussions
How to sterilize really old cast iron...probably 50 yrs + old
Comments (21)I accidentally discovered how to strip a cast iron pan of all gunk, patina, or anything else when I showed my children how to make lye soap. Instructions said not to use an aluminum, glass, or porcelain coated vessel. What else did I have but a cast iron skillet? I made the soap with lye and grease. Sure was glad to be doing it outdoors. The fumes were fierce! It heats up all on its own. No stove needed. When the reaction stopped I had a glob of dark brown soap, and an absolutely bare pan where ever the lye had been able to react with the grease in the gunk and patina. Had to start from square one to re-season it! Could not use the soap. And then there is the time my then husband decided to be helpful and burn the gunk off with a welding torch. He actually melted a hole in the bottom of one of his grandmother's pans, then attempted to fill the hole with a brass patch. Not recommended!...See Morecook eggs on cast iron
Comments (2)It's probably safe...even if it's iron, most of us can use a little extra in our diets. But, what IS it? I sometimes get black flakes if my pan isn't clean before I grease it and heat it before I put it away. I'm just careless, but I've noticed some people think they will ruin the seasoning of their pans if they wash them. If you happen to be one of those, wash it! With soap! And a nylon scouring pad if you have to! (I had to say it, just in case. No offense!) Now, assuming it's clean, how is it seasoned? Could the seasoning be flaking off? Any chance there's rust under it? (This is a plain cast iron pan, right?)...See MoreNew set of cast iron pans. What to choose ? Sizes ?
Comments (6)I have both some Le Creuset items and some less expensive competitors' items as well (Lodge, some other Chinese stuff). They all seem to work well. LC is great stuff, as is Staub, but you do pay a premium for those brand names. I don't know if in the long run the less expensive stuff will last as long, but right now I don't see much of a difference in the performance. Cooks Illustrated compared some of these a while back, and found they liked a $40 enameled cast iron pot from Target just about as much as a $200 LC item. All enameled cast iron (ECI) items are good at long, slow cooking. The cast iron holds heat well and isn't super fast at changing temperatures; that's why they're so good for unfussy slow braises. One of my favorite cold weather dishes (I've posted this several times, frequent readers please forgive the repetition) is a great application for your new ECI. This is a perfect dish for a day when you have a lot of laundry or housework to do. You have to be in the house anyway, so you may as well have a no-stress supper cooking while you're doing other work. You put it in the oven at lunchtime, and after seven hours you have some juicy and scrumptious lamb. Gigot de sept heures (Seven hour leg of lamb) 1 leg of lamb, about 6# 4 garlic cloves, sliced, plus 20 whole garlic cloves 1/4 cup olive oil salt & pepper 2 small onions, thinly sliced 4 carrots, peeled 1 bouquet garni 1 cup dry white wine 1 cup flour, 1 cup water Preheat oven to 300ÃÂ F. (If necessary, trim most of the external fat off the lamb. Some legs of lamb will come with a heavy fatty connective tissue, called the "fell", covering a lot of its surface. Remove as much of it as practical--leaving it on will make the dish gamier because a lot of the gamy flavor is in the fat and connective tissues.) Make many small stab incisions in lamb and place slivers of garlic in each incision. Rub lamb well with olive oil, season with salt & pepper. Place it in Dutch oven and add onions, carrots, bouquet garni, garlic, wine. Put lid on Dutch oven. Combine flour and water, make a 'caulk' and use it to seal the lid to the dutch oven. (Note: That's not necessary if you have a casserole or Dutch oven with a fairly snug-fitting lid.) Place it in the 300ÃÂoven and cook for 7 hours. Yes, 7 hours. NO PEEKING--leave it alone. A half hour before it's done, fix some noodles or rice or couscous to soak up the juices. Remove the Dutch oven and break the seal. You don't eat the cooked flour paste. That's it. About a half hour to an hour of prep, then you leave it the heck alone for 7 hours. It's nearly foolproof. Serve it with whatever else you want, and a medium bodied red wine goes quite well with this (say, a nice Zinfandel) but a dry white (such as the remainder of the bottle you opened to get the cup of wine in the recipe) is fine as well if that's your preference....See MoreCast Iron rules/tips??
Comments (20)Once it's well seasoned you won't need to scour much, but at most use a plastic brush or scrubber. Lacking that, use some coarse salt and a paper towel. If it isn't seasoned and some stuff has stuck, here's what I find usually works: put water in the pan to cover the stuck stuff. Bring it to boil, then turn it off. Let it soak a little while you clean up the rest of the kitchen. Then use salt or a plastic scrubber to dislodge the stuck stuff. Once clean, rinse out with hot water, paper towel it dry then put back on the burner on low for a minute or so to drive the remaining moisture out of the pores of the iron. While the pan is warm, put a tiny amount of oil (I use grapeseed) and use a paper towel to rub it into the inside of the pan. You don't want it really greasy, it'll attract dust. Oh, and if your cast iron piece has a lid and you live in a humid climate, don't store it with the lid snug or the inside will rust. You can fold up a paper towel and put it on the rim, then put the lid on to allow air to circulate within the pot....See Morekimba00
17 years agolast modified: 9 years agodanab_z9_la
17 years agolast modified: 9 years agoawm03
17 years agolast modified: 9 years agodmlove
17 years agolast modified: 9 years agoawm03
17 years agolast modified: 9 years agohomey_bird
17 years agolast modified: 9 years agodanab_z9_la
17 years agolast modified: 9 years agodmlove
17 years agolast modified: 9 years agohomey_bird
17 years agolast modified: 9 years agodanab_z9_la
17 years agolast modified: 9 years agodmlove
17 years agolast modified: 9 years agoawm03
17 years agolast modified: 9 years agoawm03
17 years agolast modified: 9 years agobean_counter_z4
17 years agolast modified: 9 years agoawm03
17 years agolast modified: 9 years agodmlove
17 years agolast modified: 9 years agodmlove
17 years agolast modified: 9 years agokimba00
17 years agolast modified: 9 years agodmlove
17 years agolast modified: 9 years agoawm03
17 years agolast modified: 9 years agokimba00
17 years agolast modified: 9 years agoawm03
17 years agolast modified: 9 years agodanab_z9_la
17 years agolast modified: 9 years agoawm03
17 years agolast modified: 9 years agoawm03
17 years agolast modified: 9 years agocpovey
16 years agolast modified: 9 years agobl_fathauer_sbcglobal_net
16 years agolast modified: 9 years agodanab_z9_la
16 years agolast modified: 9 years agosimonaa
16 years agolast modified: 9 years agodanab_z9_la
16 years agolast modified: 9 years agosimonaa
16 years agolast modified: 9 years agodanab_z9_la
16 years agolast modified: 9 years agojennytekno
16 years agolast modified: 9 years agodanab_z9_la
16 years agolast modified: 9 years agodmlove
16 years agolast modified: 9 years agodmlove
16 years agolast modified: 9 years agodanab_z9_la
16 years agolast modified: 9 years agotrivetman
16 years agolast modified: 9 years agodanab_z9_la
16 years agolast modified: 9 years agogreenturtle36
13 years agolast modified: 9 years agoUser
13 years agolast modified: 9 years agoshadoway_windstream_net
12 years agolast modified: 9 years agodanab_z9_la
12 years agolast modified: 9 years agoMartiabr
12 years agolast modified: 9 years agoLars
11 years agolast modified: 9 years agocooksnsews
11 years agolast modified: 9 years agoirjowo99
10 years agolast modified: 9 years agoLars
10 years agolast modified: 9 years ago
Related Stories
SHOP HOUZZShop Houzz: The Cast Iron Kitchen
Celebrate cast iron with cooking accessories and home accents
Full StoryKITCHEN DESIGNKitchen Sinks: Enameled Cast Iron for Attractive Durability
Strong, shiny and sustainable, an enameled cast iron sink can bring character to your kitchen
Full StoryGARDENING AND LANDSCAPINGEco-Friendly Fire Pits: Casting Backyard Campfires in a New Light
Wood burning may be discouraged — even illegal in places — but that needn't mean forsaking the fire pit. Try one of these alternatives
Full StoryKITCHEN DESIGNA Cook’s 6 Tips for Buying Kitchen Appliances
An avid home chef answers tricky questions about choosing the right oven, stovetop, vent hood and more
Full StoryHEALTHY HOMEDetox Your Kitchen for the Healthiest Cooking
Maybe you buy organic or even grow your own. But if your kitchen is toxic, you're only halfway to healthy
Full StoryKITCHEN COUNTERTOPSCast Concrete Countertops With a Personal Twist
From frame making to pouring to inlays, learn how concrete counters are cast — and how an artisan embellishes them
Full StoryREMODELING GUIDESOriginal Home Details: What to Keep, What to Cast Off
Renovate an older home without regrets with this insight on the details worth preserving
Full StoryFENCES AND GATESA Designer Uses PVC Pipe to Cast a Modern Garden Gate
Landscape designer Scot Eckley walks us through the process of creating a custom aluminum ring gate
Full StoryLIGHTINGCast a Spell With Outdoor Lights
Make a night on the patio magical or conjure a warm welcome for guests on the porch with well-chosen outdoor lighting fixtures
Full StoryTROPICAL STYLECast Away for South Seas Style
Oh, to be in Tahiti right now. The next best thing: tips from South Seas resorts to create that lovely getaway feel at home
Full StorySponsored
danab_z9_la