So, Cast Iron. . . PERFECT for for cooking up crickets! (but you gotta use a lid for obvious reasons)
While at the park by my office the other day, Eric and I were enjoying a nice lunch and the topic of cooking with cast iron came up. The big question we had was “why does stuff cooked in a cast iron skillet taste so much better than it would if it was cooked in a regular skillet?” Something as simple as a fried egg… I’m pretty sure I could tell which was cooked in the cast iron.
I’ve done some research on this subject, and although my question wasn’t answered, I did find some interesting facts about cast iron and one very exciting recipe to try. I will share this info now. . .
The most common reason why people do not like cast iron is that they say “everything sticks”. If food sticks to your cast iron skillet, your skillet is NOT seasoned right and you need to re-season it, OR, you just don’t know what you’re doing. Cast iron is a natural non-stick surface and if your skillet has been seasoned correctly, and you use it correctly, food WILL NOT stick!
Seasoning a cast iron pan is a labor intensive process. Don’t be a lazy slacker, “stick” to it and your food won’t stick. You will adore your cast iron utensil’s if you do this right!
American made cast iron cookware, brand new, comes with a thin coating of wax on them. Imports come with a thin coating of water-soluble shellac on them. Either / or. . . it’s gotta come off! Fill your sink with the scalding hot water and a bit of soap. Drop in your skillet and let it marinade until the water cools enough for you to put your hands in it. Using a scrubbing pad, scrub the heck out of it, inside and out. Rinse the pan and put it into a 400 degree oven, upside down, for 1 hour. Be sure to put a large piece of foil on the bottom of your oven to catch anything that might drip off.
After an hour, take the pan out and let it cool completely.
Now you’re ready to begin the seasoning process. Using a paper towel, smear a THIN coat of vegetable oil, canola oil, sunflower, etc. Shortening like Crisco or lard can also be used. . . and my favorite, bacon grease. Any of these can be used. I stress this though. . . THIN coat. Once the pan is coated, back into the 400 degree oven, this time right side up. Keep that foil in the bottom of the oven. Let it cook for an hour. Take it out, wipe it out, let it cool completely. Repeat this process 3 times.
You are now ready to cook. Don’t worry if your skillet isn’t black yet, in fact it probably won’t be. You’ll need to cook several times before it starts turning that nice coal black.
Proper cooking technique: It’s simple. Never set your heat to over medium high. On my stove top it goes from 1 to 12 (1 being low and 12 being high – numbers are 2 thru 11) 7 – 8 is as high as I ever go. Set your heat and place the pan on the burner and let it heat up for a minute or two. Add a small amount of lubricant, about a teaspoon. I use butter or bacon grease, but sometimes just a quick spray of pam. Swish it around until it all melts THEN a quick dash of salt and pepper right into the bottom of the pan. You are now ready to immediately toss in whatever it is you’re cooking. The big secret here is that you’ve got to heat the pan first.
Cornbread. It is NEVER cooked in my house in anything but cast iron. Pull out your mix and see what temp you need to preheat your oven to. Set the oven on this setting and toss in the cast iron skillet you’re planning on cooking in. Yeah, you’re heating up the skillet too. Now mix your cornbread according to the directions. Once the oven has come to heat, pull out the skillet and shut the door. Spray the skillet with a Pam or swish with a teaspoon of butter. If you use butter, make sure you do the sides. Pour in your batter and spread it out nice and even. When it looks all beautiful, pull it out and enjoy!
Here’s the recipe / idea I found: Deep Dish Pizza! WHY didn’t I ever think of this?!?! I have NOT tried this yet, but plan to very soon. Heat the oven with the skillet in it. Pull it out, lube it, and lay in your dough. (make sure the dough is lots bigger than the skillet so you can come up the sides with it. Now lay in your sauce and toppings and back into the oven to transform into a gorgeous work of culinary art! First time I do this, I think I might cook that dough for 5 minutes or so before I toss in the toppings. Maybe finish it off with 60 seconds under the broiler… we’ll see, play it by ear.
Your Comments
Buzz A. (my cousin) says: Harry, we’ve obviously inherited the bacon gene from our moms. When I was young I ate as much bacon as I could get. Still do. When Carol cooks it up I eat the kids’ share, too. None for them. (“No bacon for YOU!”) I tend to get in trouble for that. No matter how much she cooks I eat it all. One of my fond memories of our son Bill was a trip to a breakfast buffet at the beach twenty years ago. Five year old Bill came back to the table with two plates of bacon piled high and nothing else. Viva la bacon! LMAO… I have this vision of you n’ Carol sitting at the table, and you longingly and lovingly look at your son and say “That’s MY boy!”…. ROTFLMFAO….
Buzz A, adds: And BTW, my favorite sandwiche is meatloaf. In my case, however, it’s served thick and cold on white bread, with mayo, salt and pepper. It’s the only legitimate use for white bread. And just WHICH Mayo do you prefer??? Hellmans or Miricle Whip?
HEY, that’s a darn good question… let’s put it to a vote? (gives me an idea….)
DON’T FORGET TO TAKE OUR RTPAP MAYO POLL!
February 28th, 2010 | 
Author: 
Posted in Everyday Posts
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So yes, ALL of my miracle stainless/clad/non-stick pots and pans failed to stand up to years of abuse at college and are badly warped (try frying an egg in a suitable shape ontop of a dome). I started my research since there are no available used cast iron pots and pans in my parents’ kitchen. I have settled on http://www.castironcookware.com since they only have cast iron and since it is all made in the USA. I will start with a fry pan and report my findings in another reply.
While I was at Target I found a Lodge Logic 12″ skillet which was the same as the one on the website I previously mentioned. I picked it up for 18.99 + tax. It came pre-seasoned. I have so far only cooked bacon and eggs on it but so far I like what I have seen. The pre-seasoned surface worked better than expected. I started with the bacon, drained the grease, and used rthe residual already on the pan as the coating for my eggs. So far it doesn’t hold onto the eggs unless I use too much heat or I let it cook for way too long. Next is cornbread. It was definately worth the $19 for both performance and not having to season it right off the bat.
Deep dish pizza in an iron skillet….what a great idea!!! How about a segment on favorite pizza toppings?
And BTW, my favorite sandwiche is meatloaf. In my case, however, it’s served thick and cold on white bread, with mayo, salt and pepper. It’s the only legitimate use for white bread
H, we’ve obviously inherited the bacon gene from our moms. When I was young I ate as much bacon as I could get. Still do. When Carol cooks it up I eat the kids’ share, too. None for them. I tend to get in trouble for that. No matter how much she cooks I eat it all. One of my fond memories of our son Bill was a trip to a breakfast buffet at the beach twenty years ago. Five year old Bill came back to the table with two plates of bacon piled high and nothing else. Viva la bacon!
I have two packs of bacon in my fridge…I live alone…they will be gone by the end of the week…Viva la Bacon!
Oh yeah, unless it’s bacon grease, I only grease my skillet with a stick of butter. I use it as a crayon and color in the whole thing.
Well, see, my little stomach could only hold so much bacon and prior to me filling up the plates with 73 pounds of bacon I had already eaten about 32 pounds. My philosophy was if a lot is good then all of it must be better!
So this has nothing to do with skillets. But I loved the red beans and rice thing you made at work. You should put the recipe up on here. Share the wealth baby. I’m officially stuffed from eating too much!