For thousands of years we have been cooking over heat. Meat would be suspended over a fire, and vegetables could be cooked similarly. However there came a time when we wanted to mix ingredients and cook them, essentially a stew. Well, for that a cast iron pot was the best choice. The earliest English recording of this was in the seventh century. Although it is believed that the Chinese were using them even earlier. It was invented by the Chinese approximately 500 BC. It was used in warfare and farm implements. Although it’s not much of a stretch of the imagination to assume it was used to make cookware. Needless to say, it’s been around a while
Initially cast iron cookware was a pot, with a handle that could be supported over a fire. Looked a little like a witches cauldron. However with the invention of the stove in the 18th century, the skillet as we know it became. A flat bottomed pan would sit nicely on the stove top.
Cast iron has some great qualities, primarily it’s ability to withstand high temperatures and maintain a constant heat. Which means it doesn’t lose any heat when you put meat in it. A Dutch Oven will make the most delicious stews. A skillet is great for searing, and once seasoned, it’s essentially non stick. So let’s look at some of these qualities
Cast iron, because of its density, is able to “store” heat. This makes it probably the best searing and browning pan available. When you drop a piece of meat in an aluminum or stainless steel pan, the meat absorbs the heat from the pan. This cools the pan not really giving you the desired affect. A cast iron pan doesn’t cool when meat is put in it because of the heat it has stored. This stored heat also creates delicious pies. This wonderful ability to store heat has a bit of a downside.
Heat doesn’t move through the pan very well. Unfortunately when heated on the stove top there can be hot spots in the pan. There is a solution to this is. Pre-heat the skillet in the oven, at, say 400 degrees for about a half hour. This gets it nice and evenly hot. Then put it on the stove over heat, you can add whatever you’re cooking almost immediately.
Cast iron can also be used on the stove top and transferred to the oven. I have a recipe for split chicken breast over vegetables in the skillet. The initial step is to sear the chicken breast skin side down to crisp the skin. Lay them on a bed of vegetables in the same skillet and transfer to the oven to finish cooking. You really can’t make this recipe in anything other than a cast iron skillet
So, I’ve mentioned quite a few uses for a cast iron skillet, but, I keep mentioning “seasoning” it. So let’s delve into that a bit. What is “seasoning”? Well, its called polymerization, a process where the cooking oil reacts with the cast iron when heated. This causes a chemical reaction to change the oil from a liquid to a hard, slick coating that bonds to the surface. Cast iron is naturally grey, the black patina on a skillet is the seasoning
So, now you know what seasoning is, lets see how you can get it. Well, not that long ago, when you bought cast iron cookware it wasn’t seasoned. However, 99% of cast iron cookware sold today is pre-seasoned at the foundry. The process is simple. A thin coating of oil is applied to the surface of the cookware, and it is baked in an oven. This baking process is controlled at a certain temperature, for a specific time.
Caring for cast iron is a little different from regular cookware. However properly maintained will last for generations and become an heirloom. Lets look at this now
Although as I had mentioned before that 99% of cast iron cookware is pre-seasoned. I would still advise to season it again prior to use. So how do you season your new skillet? Well, as with any kitchen appliance you buy, you have to wash it first. So lets start with cleaning. There are some simple guidelines to cleaning cast iron. No harsh detergents, no abrasive cleaning pads, and not dishwasher safe. So rinse out your new skillet with a sponge and some warm water. Make sure its completely dry. This is an important step, when you wipe the skillet with oil, you don’t want moisture on the cast iron. This will prevent the oil adhering to the metal and the seasoning to be uneven. A trick to this is to warm the pan on the stove so the water will evaporate
This cleaning process also applies when you clean it after each use. However, there will be times when some food us stuck to the skillet. Put some coarse salt in the pan, add a little oil and using a folded paper towel, rub the salt around the pan. The abrasiveness of the salt will remove anything stuck, then rinse with a sponge and warm water. Apply a light coating of oil
Now to season. Apply some cooking oil to a paper towel and wipe the surface and sides of the skillet. This will leave a thin coating of oil. Now would be a good time to discuss oil. Years ago, lard was used to season a skillet, most kitchens had it, and it works well. Vegetable oil works well too. But, to be more specific, you want unsaturated oils, they form a better chemical bond at the molecular level. Place the skillet upside down in a cold oven. Heat to 400 degrees for four hours and allow to cool in the oven. Why upside down? Well, by placing the skillet upside down, there’s no chance of the oil pooling and causing uneven seasoning.
So, now we’ve gone over how to season, let’s discuss when to season. When you use cast iron, you’re seasoning while you cook. The oil that you cook with, or comes from what you’re cooking, along with the heat seasons the skillet. However, sometimes you will have to re season your skillet. Here are some of the “sometimes”. When you first bring it home. If food is regularly sticking to it. If the seasoning looks blotchy. When you apply oil to the skillet after cleaning and the paper towel turns discolored
So there you have it. Your cast iron skillet is the best pan you’ll ever own, it’s durable, versatile and non stick. So, enjoy it and keep checking for recipes here that utilize cast iron in the cooking process