I absolutely love my cast iron pan and use it all the time for just about anything: baking, roasting, pan frying. I held off on getting one for a long time because I thought it would be too much work, but it's actually very easy. I learned how to care for it through watching Alton Brown (I think he does an entire Good Eats episode on it) and through my own experiences with using it. Hopefully this helps anyone who wants to learn how to use a cast iron pan.
Seasoning Your Pan: It's important to do this when you first buy it (even if it says it is pre-seasoned) to make the pan non-stick and prevent rust. If you find rust on your pan from moisture, it's okay: cast iron lasts forever and that's easily scrubbed off. You should re-season it 2-3 times a year to maintain it.
1) Preheat your oven to your lowest setting and place the pan in the oven, leave until warm. Rub a very thin layer of oil (vegetable oil because it tolerates high heat, olive oil will burn) over all parts of the pan. Rub off any excess oil.
2) Turn the heat up to the highest setting in your oven and place the pan in upside down (keeps any oil from pooling on the bottom). Leave for one hour. TIP: My entire apartment often stinks when I do this, so I recommend opening windows.
3) Turn off the oven and leave the pan until completely cool. Alton Brown recommends repeating this 2-3 more times, but I never do because I don't have the time.
Cleaning Your Pan: This is fairly simple. The biggest controversy is whether to use soap. Some say yes, some say this is heresy. I have never used soap and have never had an issue, so do what works for you.
1) With the pan very hot, pour a small amount of water in the pan to de-glaze and remove any food that might be sticking, and dump out the water.
2) Wipe out the pan and pour a generous amount of kosher salt (regular table salt is not course enough). Using paper towels and tongs, scrub the inside of the pan and continue until clean. Throw away the salt. Make sure the entire pan is very dry, otherwise you get rust.
3) Wipe a very thin layer of vegetable oil in the pan, remove any excess. Don't do this if the pan is cool, it will not absorb and the oil can go rancid.
Final Tips:
1) If making a sauce, avoid anything too acidic (i.e. tomatoes/spaghetti sauce) as this can affect the seasoning. I've heard people say you can have some acidic foods but only for short periods.
2) If you're making something savory, maybe don't immediately make something sweet afterward (and vice versa). You might get some interesting flavor combinations!
Hope this answers all your cast iron pan questions, let me know if I missed anything!
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