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Heavy Metal Love Affair
As a chef, I’m often asked a lot of questions about food. Usually, people want to know if the behind-the-scenes stuff that happens on shows such as Top Chef and Hell’s Kitchen are true to chef life (sometimes yes, sometimes no). Often times, they also want to know my favorite local restaurants (Publican and West Town Tavern) and favorite dish to cook (steak salad—yum!). My favorite question to answer is what my indispensable cooking tool is. Hands down, it’s my cast-iron cookware.
I’m lucky to have a cast-iron skillet that was my great-grandmother's. Made in 1920, my skillet has served four generations of home cooks and one professional one without fail. While the sentimental connection to my cast-iron heirloom is reason enough to love it, there’s so much more to appreciate about this cookware. Here are a few reasons it’s worth investing in your own cast-iron cookware:
1) Cast-iron holds a consistent temperature. Once you heat a cast-iron pan, you will not have the “hot spot” situation you might have with other pans. The edges are as hot as the center, which allows for more consistent cooking. With cast-iron, you’re less likely to have dishes that are raw in one area and overcooked in others.
2) It's inexpensive! Lodge brand cast-iron cookware (the best brand out there) will run you $16 for a 10-inch skillet – an untouchable price in any other type of cookware. If you're willing to do a little shopping around, you can often find cast-iron cookware even cheaper if you scout around for it at a garage or estate sale, on search for it on eBay. A little TLC, and the pan is as good as new!
3) Cast-iron pans add iron to your food. When you use cast-iron cookware, small amounts of iron leach from the pan into whatever you cook on it. Most women need extra iron, and this simple change in your cookware adds a little extra to your diet.
4) More versatile cooking. Cast-iron cookware can be used on electric, gas and induction burners, as well as in the oven, on a grill or over a campfire.
5) Each skillet comes with a ready-made workout. With each pan weighing-in around five pounds, each meal made comes with a little exercise. Imagine how buff your arms can get just flipping eggs for breakfast!
6) Cast iron is virtually indestructible. Drop it accidentally, expose it to extreme temperatures and use any utensil you’ve got – your cast-iron can take it. The only caveat with cast-iron is watching it around water and foods with a high acid content, such as tomatoes or vinegars. To keep your cast-iron skillet in top shape, dry it thoroughly after use (I wash and rinse it in the sink, then dry it out over by heating it up on the stove again). If it starts to rust, simply re-season it (see below). Avoid cooking high-acid foods in uncoated cast-iron. Instead, save the tomato sauces for enameled cast-iron (like Le Creuset or Lodge).
If you've already got your skillet, read on for tips on how to season it!
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How to Season a Cast-Iron Pan
1. Wash your cast-iron with hot, soapy water and a stiff brush. If you have rusted spots on the cookware, scrub those smooth with steel wool.
2. Rinse and dry completely. To dry, place the cast-iron on a hot burner for 5 minutes.
3. Allow the pan to cool thoroughly. Afterwards, apply a thin, even coating of vegetable oil to your pan, both inside and out.
4. Place a cookie sheet on the bottom rack of your oven. (This will catch any cooking oil that drips from your pan.)
5. Preheat your oven to 400ºF.
6. Place cookware upside down on the top rack of the oven.
7. Bake the cookware for at least one hour. After the hour, turn the oven off and let the cookware cool in the oven. I often let the cookware cool overnight.
Enjoy!
Chef Jill
Chef Jill Houk, Partner
Centered Chef Food Studios
Nourishment Redefined