If you are what I call a “real” cook – the sort who peels potatoes, bakes bread from scratch, and knows how to make perfect fried chicken or soup that never sees the inside of a can – odds are high you know all about cast iron. But maybe you’ve managed to achieve real cook status without acquiring that knowledge. Or perhaps you’re a newbie to cooking. Or even a “what-shall-I-microwave-for-dinner?” cook who wants to expand your horizons. Whatever the reason, I’m glad you stopped by to talk about cast iron cookware.
It’s Durable
Cast iron cookware is forever (and it’s been around nearly that long; the wok was invented around 200 BC). There are recorded instances of cast iron cookware from the 1800s that still sees daily use. In our disposable world, that’s quite a feat (not to mention a good use of increasingly scarce resources). If you take care of it properly, it will easily serve three generations. While a good 15-inch skillet will cost you over $50, that’s an amortized cost of 33 cents a year at 50 cooking years per generation. If your family is noted for longevity, it will be even less!
Cast Iron has Multiple Benefits
In addition to durability, cast iron can tolerate very high cooking temperatures. Most are cast in one piece with handles, so the pot or skillet can be used in the oven as well as on the stove. Iron is considered a poor heat conductor compared to something like copper, aluminum or stainless steel. However, the former has more thermal mass and is thicker, so these hefty utensils can store heat longer. This translates to lower fuel consumption. You can often turn off the heat and the pot will finish cooking solely from retained heat. And if you’re anemic, you can get a little boost in your iron intake.
In the Kitchen
You can do just about anything with cast iron that you can with any other kind of cookware – that includes baking cakes, bread and muffins as well as frying chicken or steak and making vats of chili and soup. You can use it on the stove top, in the oven and over a campfire. Properly seasoned cast iron will give you the best non-stick surface ever, without the chemicals you find in non-stick cookware. It is important to heat it slowly and not to use a burner that is too small. Fast heating and small burners can cause hot spots that scorch food. Highly acidic foods cooked in cast iron for long periods (we’re talking several hours or more) can damage the seasoning but it’s easy to re-season.
Non-Stick Cast Iron
When I was much younger it was relatively easy to find used cast iron skillets and such. They were often rusty, but an hour or two with a wire brush attachment on an electric drill would take care of the rust. A wire hand brush and sandpaper will do the same job; it just takes longer. Once the rust is gone, wash the pan well with warm soapy water, dry thoroughly and apply lard or beef tallow to the entire surface. Put it in a warm oven (around 200°F) at least overnight. Fry an egg to see if it’s non-stick. If not, repeat the seasoning process.
Resurfacing Modern Cookware
If you’ve bought a new skillet recently, you’ll notice that the surface seems rough compared to older models. Before 1940, manufacturers poured molten iron into molds. They left the poured metal to cure and season for two days. Next step: tumbling, in a large rotating drum filled with small bits of specially shaped metal. The tumbler removed rough areas and small nubs. Finally, manufacturers used polish grinding to achieve a smooth surface for skillets. Today, the items are simply poured and seasoned, which leaves that pebbly surface you’ll see in modern cast iron. You can achieve the smooth surface after purchase by sanding it smooth and seasoning So, go ahead – expand your cooking horizons with cast iron cookware.
