Cast iron

[Deleted]

I have 3 cast iron skillets and a Dutch oven. Do most of my cooking in the skillets on top of the stove but yesterday I baked pork chops in my largest one. Why didn’t I do it before?! The chops were delicious and just like fried without me having to stand over the stove.

What else have I been missing?

[BrewDaddy]

Dec 4, 2019 0:07:08 GMT @wvfarmgirl said:

I have 3 cast iron skillets and a Dutch oven. Do most of my cooking in the skillets on top of the stove but yesterday I baked pork chops in my largest one. Why didn’t I do it before?! The chops were delicious and just like fried without me having to stand over the stove.

What else have I been missing?

Loves me my cast iron... up until last week I haven't used anything else in several years...

I've migrated from an 8 and 10 inch Lodge to the same sizes in heirloom iron since the old stuff is usually lighter. My 10" Griswold is probably 2/3 the weight of the Lodge. The 8" nearly the same.

I've got a 12" Lodge I picked up for cheap cheap cheap at Goodwill.... don't really use it unless I want to dry out or crisp up a whole lot of something in the oven.

Now that I think about it, I have 4 dutch ovens. A 'nice' enameled one that gets used a bunch (but less now that I have my go-to Instant Pot), a plain cast iron one about the same size (rarely used), a 12" x 3 1/5" deep dutchy I've used quite a number of times, including baking bread, and a 12" x 5" deep I picked up specifically for baking bread but have yet to do so (thinking grid down sort of thing).

In addition, I have 2-3 smaller steel sautee pans that a buddy's dad used way back when he was a cook for the railroad... heirloom stuff... rarely used any more, but nice to have it.

Oh, and an heirloom griddle and waffle maker....

Last week I picked up an 8" heavy bottomed stainless pan... my fave yooztoobz cooking channel seems to use SS and cast iron almost interchangeably but since he's a chef, I'm thinking there's a reason other than just making pan sauces. Maybe it just boils down (pardon the pun) to how well what he's cooking will look on camera...

And just for the record, I've used the new Stainless pan 3-4 times now and frankly, I don't like it much at all so far... Lighter? Yes, but there's got to be more to it than that...

But in either case, it's nice having such versatile cookware than can go from grill, stovetop, oven, whatever....

brew

[daw]

Put cast iron skillet in the oven 450* with your choice of fat.
Prepare cornbread with your choice of added ingredients,
such as , jalapeño, onion, corn , cottage cheese , you know....
Add to now smoking fat in cast iron. Bake , remove then it
no longer clings to skillet. Remove turn out on plate.
Butter is excellent addition at this time......

[ceresone]

Just for fun, travel to some of the cast iron sites. Experts, every one, if you don't believe it ask them.
For instance, your cast iron should never contact fire! Try to convince them that the pots with indented lids were to be covered with coals. I have put them in the fireplace, and hot fires to clean them, I run mine thru the dishwasher, I should be arrested for abuse. But all my 200+ pieces are not warped, and don't stick.

[Jolly]

Folks say you can't cook foods with tomato in case iron.

My Grandma Jolly must have missed that lesson.

[BrewDaddy]

For years and years I did everything 'wrong' carrying for and using my cast iron, then when I started using the stuff exclusively I took notice of what are considered 'best practices'.

I admit that I do treat my iron with some extra care, but it's more so that I enjoy the zen like process, not because I need to.

I'm not saying the heirloom stuff is overrated, I just like it because it's lighter and I get a kick out of using 'the good stuff'. But frankly, when the wife and I split she tossed in some rusty old skillet made by a company called 'Taiwan' and after getting it cleaned up, it's a great pan. Used it and abused it for years before getting my fancy pants stuff....

Loves me my cast iron...

bd