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- Herausgeber: John Wiley & Sons
- Kategorie: Lebensstil
- Sprache: Englisch
- Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2023
Become a cast-iron chef, thanks to this friendly Dummies guide Cast-Iron Cooking For Dummies will teach you everything you need to know to start using the classic cookware that chefs have loved for thousands of years. You'll learn how to pick the right cast iron tools for your needs, maintain your cookware, and cook foods to perfection. This book is also packed with healthy, diverse, and delicious recipes for meat, fish, stir-fry, and beyond. Cast-iron cookware is versatile, hardy, economical, and great at retaining heat. Well-seasoned cast iron can reduce the need for cooking oil and even makes food taste better. This easy-to-use guide comes complete with color photos and a guide to the best brands. * Select the right cast-iron cookware for your daily needs * Learn to properly season and maintain your cast-iron * Master cooking techniques using versatile, professional cookware * Find great recipes that will taste even better when you cook them with cast-iron This book is an excellent choice for home cooks, beginners, semi-pro cooks, professional cooks, campers, and outdoor cooks--basically anyone looking to cook with cast-iron!
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Cast-Iron Cooking for Dummies®
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Table of Contents
Cover
Title Page
Copyright
Introduction
About This Book
Foolish Assumptions
Icons Used in This Book
Beyond This Book
Where to Go from Here
Part 1: Getting Started with Cast-Iron Cooking
Chapter 1: Welcome to the World of Cast-Iron Cooking
Understanding the Benefits to Cooking with Quality Cast Iron
Showing Special Consideration to Your Prized Possession
Chapter 2: Selecting Cast-Iron Cookware
Choosing the Right Pan
Getting Started — What Cast Iron You Need
Buying the Right Cast Iron
Part 2: Treating Your Cast Iron with TLC
Chapter 3: Seasoning Your Cast Iron
Adding Some Seasoning to a New Pan
Reseasoning a Pan
Dealing With a Preseasoned Pan
Chapter 4: Maintaining Your Cast Iron
Cleaning 101 — What Not to Do
Cleaning Your Cast Iron — What to Do
Super-Cleaning for Old — or Abused — Cast Iron
Storing Your Cast Iron
Hitting the Road with Your Cast Iron
Chapter 5: Identifying the Best Cast-Iron Cooking Techniques
Out of the Frying Pan and into the Fire: Heat and Temperature Control
Ending the Exile of Your Metal Utensils
Starting with Safety First
Troubleshooting Cast Iron That Smokes
Part 3: Food Basics and Cast-Iron Cooking
Chapter 6: It’s All about Red Meat
Getting the Lowdown on Beef
Cooking Beef
Zeroing In on Pork
Carving Like a Pro
Chapter 7: Tastes Fowl — Like Chicken (and Turkey)
Grasping Chicken Basics
Understanding Roasting Guidelines
Southern Fried Chicken: The Ultimate in Comfort Food
Talking Turkey
Carving Made Easy
Chapter 8: Hitting the Water — Fish and Seafood
Gone Fishin’ — Getting the Freshest Fish Available
Warming Up to Salmon
Pan-Frying Fish
Shellfish Galore — Shrimp, Scallops, Oysters, and More
Getting a Grip on Shrimp
Scallops: Sea or Bay, Sweet Anyway
Oysters Aren’t Only for Rockefeller
Tackling Soft-Shell Crabs
Steaming Soft-Shell Clams
Hosting a Fish (and Shellfish) Fry — Cast-Iron Style
Soupy Sensations
Frying Frog Legs
Chapter 9: Including Veggies in Your Meal
Shining on Protein in Veggies
Cast-Iron Favorites: Potatoes and Beans
Featuring Squash
Enjoying Corn On and Off the Cob
Appreciating the Diaspora of Southern Cuisine
Preparing Basic Veggie Crowd-Pleasers
Chapter 10: Tackling Everything Bread
You’re Cookin’ Cornbreads Now
Ain’t Nothin’ Better than Biscuits
Breads at Home on the Range and in the History Books
Baking Easy Yeast Breads
Flipping Over Pancakes
Setting the Pace with Quick Breads and Muffins
Chapter 11: Making Delectable Desserts
Having Your Cake and Eating It Too
Perfectly Easy Pastries and Other Super Sweets
Creating Dutch Oven Desserts
Chapter 12: Cooking around the Campfire
Roundin’ Up the Outdoor Hardware
Controlling Temperature
Using a Dutch Oven to Cook Main Dishes
Part 4: Time to Cook — Delicious Recipes Galore
Chapter 13: Cook Smarter, Not Harder — Easy Recipes
Starting Your Day with Easy Breakfast Recipes
Preparing Simple Lunch Dishes
Focusing on Adventurous and Delicious Dinner Main Dishes
Chapter 14: For Red Meat Lovers
Preparing Beef Entrees
Serving Pork Recipes
Chapter 15: Poultry Entrée Recipes
Focusing on County Cookin’
Cooking for the Uptown Crowd
Tackling Other Poultry
Chapter 16: Fish, Shellfish, and One Amphibian
Fishing for Freshwater Fish Dishes
Frying Some Saltwater Fish Dishes
Slaying Shellfish Dishes
Getting Amphibious — No Watercraft Required
Chapter 17: Veggies Highlighted in Main and Side Dishes
Creating Vegetable-Centered Entrees
Making Veggies the Star — Side Dishes
Chapter 18: Seasonal Veggie Dishes
Highlighting Spring Vegetables
Focusing on Summer In-Season Veggies
Introducing Fall Veggies into Your Kitchen
Adding Vegetables to Your Side Dishes during the Winter
Chapter 19: Cornbreads, Biscuits, and Breads
Finding Some Comfort with Cornbread Recipes
Baking the Best Biscuit
Creating Flavorful Bread Recipes
Chapter 20: Pancakes, Muffins, and More
Flipping over Pancake Recipes
Tackling Tasty Muffin Recipes
Creating Other Cast-Iron Treats
Chapter 21: Satisfying Desserts
Taking a Stab at Cake Recipes
Trying Cast-Iron Pie Recipes
Eyeing Other Tasty Dessert Recipes
Chapter 22: Campfire Recipes
Appetizing Your Friends with Starters
Focusing on Campsite Main Dishes
Finishing with Campsite Desserts
Chapter 23: Ready for the Game — Great Tailgating Recipes
Appetizing Your Fans with Dips
Entertaining with Other Greats
Chapter 24: One-Pot World Favorites
Seeing What the Americas Have to Offer
Introducing Some African Dishes to Your Repertoire
Mastering Some Asian Recipes
Turning to the Old World — Europe — for Inspiration
Adding Some Oceania to Your Cooking
Part 5: The Part of Tens
Chapter 25: Ten Do’s and Don’ts to Make Your Cast Iron Last Longer
Do Reseason After Each Use
Don’t Put Cold Water in a Hot Pan
Don’t Use Soap
Don’t Stick It in the Dishwasher
Do Keep Water Away
Do Use It Often
Do Store It Appropriately
Do Avoid Cooking Acidic and Alkaline Foods at First
Do Appreciate Its True Value
Do Use It the Way It’s Intended
Chapter 26: Ten Tips for Surefire Success
Seasoning and Reseasoning
Preheating Your Cast Iron
Using the Right Size Cast Iron
Controlling Your Temperature
Modifying Cooking Times
Coating with Oil or Cooking Spray
Cooking with Quality Cast Iron
Using Quality Ingredients
Sticking Around
Remembering That It’s Just Food
Appendix: Metric Conversion Guide
Index
About the Author
Supplemental Images
Advertisement Page
Connect with Dummies
End User License Agreement
List of Tables
Chapter 1
TABLE 1-1 Cost of New Cast Iron versus Other Cookware
Chapter 2
TABLE 2-1 Dutch Oven Capacities
TABLE 2-2 Available Cast-Iron Minis
Chapter 3
TABLE 3-1 Common Oils Used for Seasoning and Their Smoking Points
Chapter 7
TABLE 7-1 Types of Chicken and Cooking Methods
Chapter 8
TABLE 8-1 Serving Sizes for Fish
TABLE 8-2 Timetable for Deep-Fried Fish and Shellfish at 375 Degrees
Chapter 12
TABLE 12-1 Total Number of Coals to Reach Certain Temperatures
TABLE 12-2 Location of Heat Source
Appendix
TABLE A-1 Common Abbreviations
TABLE A-2 Volume
TABLE A-3 Weight
TABLE A-4 Length
TABLE A-5 Temperature (Degrees)
List of Illustrations
Chapter 1
FIGURE 1-1: New cast iron (front) is relatively light. Older cast iron (rear) h...
Chapter 2
FIGURE 2-1: Cast-iron skillets are good, all-purpose cooking utensils.
FIGURE 2-2: You can also find square skillets in different sizes.
FIGURE 2-3: The deeper sides of a fry pan mean less splattering and less mess.
FIGURE 2-4: A sampling of griddles.
FIGURE 2-5: The ribbed bottom of a grill pan keeps your food up and out of any ...
FIGURE 2-6: A Dutch oven for indoor use (left) and a camp oven, designed for co...
FIGURE 2-7: A 10-ounce mini cast-iron dish.
FIGURE 2-8: Cast-iron bakeware serves a variety of purposes: From left to right...
FIGURE 2-9: A standard fry kit consists of a deep pan, a wire basket, and a the...
Chapter 4
FIGURE 4-1: A mildly (believe it or not) abused cast-iron pan.
Chapter 6
FIGURE 6-1: Cutting up, down on the farm.
FIGURE 6-2: Where pork cuts come from.
FIGURE 6-3: Beef Brisket 101.
FIGURE 6-4: Follow this pattern for a perfect pot roast.
FIGURE 6-5: Boning up on pork rib roast.
Chapter 7
FIGURE 7-1: Making the cut.
FIGURE 7-2: Eight steps to the carving hall of fame.
Chapter 8
FIGURE 8-1: How to clean and devein shrimp.
Chapter 12
FIGURE 12-1: Give that lid a lift.
FIGURE 12-2: A spyder without a web.
FIGURE 12-3: Start your chimneys.
FIGURE 12-4: Pans designed for outdoor cooking have flanged lids and feet so th...
FIGURE 12-5: Stacked ovens let you cook more than one item at a time.
Guide
Cover
Table of Contents
Title Page
Copyright
Begin Reading
Appendix: Metric Conversion Guide
Index
About the Author
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Cast-Iron Cooking For Dummies®, 2nd Edition
Published by: John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030-5774, www.wiley.com
Copyright © 2024 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc., Hoboken, New Jersey
Published simultaneously in Canada
No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, scanning or otherwise, except as permitted under Sections 107 or 108 of the 1976 United States Copyright Act, without the prior written permission of the Publisher. Requests to the Publisher for permission should be addressed to the Permissions Department, John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030, (201) 748-6011, fax (201) 748-6008, or online at www.wiley.com/go/permissions.
Trademarks: Wiley, For Dummies, the Dummies Man logo, Dummies.com, Making Everything Easier, and related trade dress are trademarks or registered trademarks of John Wiley & Sons, Inc., and may not be used without written permission. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. John Wiley & Sons, Inc., is not associated with any product or vendor mentioned in this book.
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Wiley publishes in a variety of print and electronic formats and by print-on-demand. Some material included with standard print versions of this book may not be included in e-books or in print-on-demand. For more information about Wiley products, visit www.wiley.com.
Library of Congress Control Number: 2023948980
ISBN 978-1-119-88813-0 (pbk); ISBN 978-1-119-88814-7 (ebk); ISBN 978-1-119-88815-4 (ebk)
Introduction
The importance of cast iron in your life may vary depending on where you live. The process of casting metals has played a vital role in shaping today’s world. Without this incredible discovery, civilization would have developed differently.
In this book, I guide you on a captivating exploration where you discover (or rediscover) the timeless art of cast-iron cooking. Throughout this journey, you uncover the remarkable influence that cast iron has had, and still maintains, in kitchens all around the globe.
Whether you find yourself cooking al fresco over an open flame or stumbling upon the historical value of a vintage cast-iron skillet hanging on the wall at your grandparents’ house, my goal is for this book to inspire you. Through its pages, I motivate you to venture into uncharted culinary territories, uncovering new recipes, acquiring novel techniques, and above all, immersing yourself in the age-old mysteries of cast iron that have left an indelible mark on how food is perceived today.
About This Book
For many people cast-iron cooking sounds historic. You may have heard stories about delicious dishes that remind you of your elders, and beautiful cakes, fried chicken, and baked dishes that allow you to live vicariously through their nostalgic memories. The thought of re-creating these dishes seems impossible and impractical because these memories didn’t come with instructions.
Fear not! This book is designed to be your step-by-step guide to successful cooking in cast iron. I break down those mental barriers that have prevented you from taking that leap of faith. I include tips, tricks, and tons of information to help you gain the confidence you need to cook your favorite dishes in cast iron. I recommend taking your time reading these pages and don’t just skim.
Consider this book a relationship-building tool for you and your cast iron. Like any good relationship, it takes work. Until now, you may have had troubling relationships with your cast iron. They heat up too quickly and burn your food, they cool down too quickly and steam everything, or everything sticks to the pan creating a logistical nightmare. If you follow the advice in this book, cast iron can help you take your relationship with cooking to the next level.
This new edition of the book includes the following info:
Everything you need to know about the different types of cast iron, including minis
More than 50 new recipes and dishes from around the world, adding culture and new flavors to your recipe repertoire
Ways to season and cook fresh vegetables as sides and main dishes that make use of your local farmers’ market
Each recipe indicates a size and the type of cast iron to use. But because cast iron is so versatile, you can use just about any cast-iron pan that you have on hand. Just keep the following in mind:
Make sure the pan that you use is suitable for the task at hand. If the recipe calls for deep-frying, for example, a skillet won’t do because it isn’t deep enough, but a Dutch oven will work fine.
If the pan that you use is larger or smaller than the one specified in the recipe, especially for baking recipes, such as cakes, you may have to adjust the cooking time. Baking a cake in a 10-inch skillet, for example, takes longer than baking a cake in a 12-inch pan.
So feel free to use whatever cast iron you can. Some good candidates for swapping are as follows:
To Do This
Use Any of These Pans
Roast
Meats
Deep fryer, Dutch oven, fry pan, deep-sided skillet
Vegetables
Dutch oven, any skillet, casserole dish
Deep-fry
Deep fryer, Dutch oven, fry pan
Pan-fry
Dutch oven, fry pan, skillet
Bake
Cakes, pies
Skillet, Dutch oven, specialty bake pans
Muffins, cornsticks
Muffin pan, cornstick pans, divided cornbread skillet
Loaf breads
Loaf pan, Dutch oven, skillet
Rolls
Dutch oven, skillet, griddle
Biscuits, cornbread
Skillet, drop-biscuit pan, Dutch oven, cornbread skillet
Simmer soups or stews
Dutch oven, deep fryer, deep saucepan
Sear meats
Skillet, griddle
Stir-fry
Skillet, wok
One of the fun things about cast-iron cooking is that it’s as much an art as a science. Many older cast-iron recipes have been handed down from one generation to the next and passed from cook to cook. Many recipes have made it to this book in just that way. So, you’re getting authentic cast-iron recipes that have stood the test of time.
Another typical characteristic of these types of recipes is that they often don’t use precise measurements or give specific time guidelines. Instead, they tell you to “Add just a smidgeon of salt,” or “Simmer the sauce until it’s nice and thick.” So that anyone from the culinary novice to the seasoned cast-iron cook can have success with the recipes in this book, the impreciseness is kept to a minimum:
Measurements:
The recipes largely give precise measurements (a half teaspoon of this or 1½ tablespoons of that, for example) or indicate a range (½ to 1 teaspoon, for example).
Times:
The recipes also indicate approximate prep and cooking times and times for the tasks within individual recipe steps.
But, at the end of the day, to be true to cast-iron’s heritage, some ingredient amounts are occasionally left to your cooking judgment. (Don’t worry, I’m talking about things like salt and pepper.) Continuing a long-standing kitchen tradition, as soon as you make a recipe, that recipe becomes yours to do with as you please. Take advantage of this flexibility and feel free to adjust any of these recipes to suit your own tastes and cooking style.
The recipes in this book are complete, but they may not spell out every detail of prepping and cooking the food. For example, certain steps and techniques in cooking are standard no matter what you’re preparing. In addition, I require specific types of ingredients and also want to make sure that you adhere to a few of my other cooking preferences. Take a quick look at the following list for points that apply to all the recipes:
Fruits and vegetables are washed under cold running water before using.
Pepper is freshly ground pepper. Invest in a pepper mill and give it a few cranks when you want pepper bursting with flavor.
Fresh herbs are specified in many of the recipes for their bright, authentic flavor. But you can still make a recipe if you don’t plan to use these by substituting dry herbs, using one-third the amount of fresh.
Dairy products are lowfat.
Eggs are large unless otherwise indicated.
Olive oil is mild unless otherwise indicated.
All onions are sweet unless otherwise indicated.
Water is filtered water.
All temperatures are Fahrenheit.
Keep pots uncovered unless I tell you to put on the lid.
Foolish Assumptions
In the writing of this book, I make some assumptions about you:
You found yourself the proud owner of cast iron, but you aren’t quite sure what to do with it.
You’ve had cast iron for a while and are looking to expand your repertoire of cast-iron recipes.
You’ve had bad experiences with cast iron but are willing to give it another go.
You don’t own a lick of cast iron, but you’ve been hearing so much about it (or you’ve tasted something cooked in it), and you want to give it a try.
You don’t have time for long treatises on the joy of cast-iron cooking and just want practical cooking tips and cut-to-the-chase directions.
If any of the preceding assumptions describe you, you have the right cast-iron cookbook in your hands.
Icons Used in This Book
The icons in this book help you find particular kinds of information that may be of use to you:
You’ll see this icon anywhere that I offer a suggestion or a bit of practical, advice — such as how to save time or what special tool to use — that can help you with the task at hand.
This icon points out important information about cast-iron cooking or care that (surprise, surprise) I don’t want you to forget.
If something can ruin your cast iron, mess up your meal, or prove hazardous to your health, you’ll find it highlighted with this icon.
This icon appears beside information that explains the finer points — the technical details (such as how cast iron is made or why yeast works) — that you may find interesting but that you don’t need to know to get a handle on cast iron. Feel free to skip this information at will.
Beyond This Book
This book is full of tips and other pieces of helpful advice you can use as you’re cooking with cast iron. In addition, check out the book’s Cheat Sheet at www.dummies.com and search for “Cast-Iron Cooking For Dummies Cheat Sheet” for information to reference on a regular basis.
Where to Go from Here
This book is organized so that you easily find whatever you want to find. Have some potatoes that you need to use and want some recipe ideas? Head to Chapters 17 and 18. If you’re interested in outdoor recipes, because a campout is coming up, go to Chapter 22. You can use the table of contents to find broad categories of information, the index to look up more specific items, or the Recipes at a Glance section at the front of this book to find the right recipe.
What’s great about this book is that you decide where to start and what to read. It’s a reference that you can jump into and out of at will.
If you don’t currently have any cast iron or you’re not sure how to cook with cast iron, you may want to head to Part 1. It gives you all the basic info that you need to get started. After you’ve digested the tidbits in Part 1, you can go anywhere your heart — or your taste buds — takes you.
Part 1
Getting Started with Cast-Iron Cooking
IN THIS PART …
Discover the skills to cook with cast iron.
Understand what you need to know about the different cast iron.
Explore the many types of cast iron, ranging from skillets, griddles, Dutch ovens, minis, and so much more.
Recognize what’s important when adding cast iron to your kitchen.
Chapter 1
Welcome to the World of Cast-Iron Cooking
IN THIS CHAPTER
Investing in quality
Understanding the benefits to cooking with cast iron
Making your cast iron last
In today’s world, you’re no longer limited by the few select materials needed to create good cookware. Just search online for the best pans, and you’ll populate hundreds of options. Unless you’re a trained professional chef or have time to sift through webpages or blogs or watch hundreds of YouTube videos, buying a good quality pan can be daunting. This chapter serves as a launching pad to this book where I break down some of those barriers and help you achieve your aspirations and goals in the kitchen through cast iron.
Easy to use and easy to care for, cast iron lasts practically forever, and you can use any cooking method to cook anything in it. And most cast-iron cooks will tell you that food cooked in cast iron tastes better than food cooked in anything else. But like any well-crafted cookware, cast iron does require some care, and what you cook in it can turn out better if you know a few tricks.
Here I introduce you to basic information about cooking in cast iron, explain its benefits, and tell you what you need to know to use it successfully.
Understanding the Benefits to Cooking with Quality Cast Iron
Most modern-day cooks have never cooked in cast iron, many have never (knowingly, anyway) tasted a cast-iron dish, and even fewer have probably ever cared for a cast-iron skillet — beyond hanging it on the kitchen wall and dusting it periodically. If this sounds familiar, chances are, you don't even realize the culinary adventure you’re missing out on.
So what’s so great about cooking in cast iron? Plain and simple, cast iron is a great cookware. Cast iron has much to offer in terms of heating properties, economy, usefulness, and health benefits (yes, even health benefits). And that list doesn’t even begin to touch on the area of taste! Cast iron, with the proper seasoning and care, offers all the same benefits — and then some — that more modern cookware offers, and it has a history and longevity that these others lack.
Durability and longevity — A pan made to last
Cast iron isn’t just a descriptive term. These pots and pans are actually made from iron that has been melted and formed in pan-shaped molds or casts. (If you’re interested in the details of how cast-iron pans are made, see the nearby sidebar) Made from the same base material that’s used in engine blocks and building girders, cast-iron pans can last forever. Well, maybe not forever, but pretty darn close.
Cast iron’s longevity is one reason why it can be so easy to find and relatively inexpensive. You don’t have to buy it new. Many people inherit their cast iron or buy it at garage and yard sales. Even old pans that have been abused can be reborn with a little work. (Chapter 4 tells you how to save a worn cast-iron pot.)
Cast iron is extremely tough and can last generations if cared for properly. It won’t scratch, chip, or melt. (Well, at least not below 2,500 degrees. And I’m guessing you’re dealing with temperatures slightly below that mark.) The handles don’t fall off, and cooking in it won’t kill your pet parakeet.
Another great quality about this pan is that you can change between cooking surfaces. Cooking on the stovetop and want to finish in the oven? Go for it! Cooking in the oven and want to finish on the grill? As chefs say in the kitchen “Yes, Chef!” You don’t have to worry about plastic handles melting or the loosening of screws; this pan is made to last and can adapt to almost all cooking environments.
THE ESSENTIAL UTENSIL — UNTIL 1940
People have been using cast iron for more than cookware since the 1600s. They also used it to dip candles, dye fabric, make soap, and wash clothes. During the California Gold Rush, folks panned for gold using small cast-iron skillets. Keep reading for more cast-iron trivia tidbits:
Many people credit Paul Revere with being the creator of the Dutch oven — a fact that the Dutch are none too happy about.George Washington’s mother bequeathed her cast iron in her will. You can still see some of the selection on display in the National Museum in Washington, D.C.Lewis and Clark listed their Dutch oven as one of the most important pieces of equipment that they took with them on their exploration of the Pacific Northwest in 1804.Cast-iron cookware remained popular in the United States until the 1940s, when lighter, shinier aluminum cookware was introduced.The Dutch oven is the official cookware of the states of Texas, Arkansas, and Utah.Few things can harm a cast-iron pan. What are the two biggest dangers of cast iron? Cold water on a hot pan and a trip through the dishwasher. Head to Chapter 4 for care instructions.
Timeless beauty — Aging with grace
If you’ve ever found yourself examining (and cursing) the bottom of a nonstick pan for scratches and peels, you may come to appreciate that cast iron doesn’t wear out with age; it gets better. The reason is that every time you cook in the pan, you’re actually seasoning it again, filling in the microscopic pores and valleys that are part of the cast-iron surface. The more you cook, the smoother the surface becomes until you have a pan that’s the envy of cast-iron cooks everywhere.
New cast iron is gunmetal gray. This color darkens with the initial seasoning. (See Chapter 3 for seasoning instructions.) It grows darker with every use until you reach the patina (the dark color and slight shine cast iron develops over time). That’s the mark of well-used and well-seasoned cast iron. (See Figure 1-1.)
Of course, not all old cast iron has been taken care of, and some old pans look their age. Your cast iron may have enough rust spots, cooked-on gunk, and pitted surfaces to earn a place on the junk pile.
Photograph by Tracy Barr
FIGURE 1-1: New cast iron (front) is relatively light. Older cast iron (rear) has a satiny patina.
Keep in mind, however, that looks can be deceiving. Many battered and beaten cast-iron pieces can be reclaimed, rejuvenated, and restored to life (Chapter 4 provides details). With a little work, you can restore most old cast iron to cooking condition. And many consider cast iron to be a collectible, so you could end up with a pan that has value beyond how well it bakes biscuits. (For a word or two about collectible cast iron, see Chapter 2.)
Making dollars and sense
Cast iron is known to be rugged and heavy. Traditionally there was one standard look, nothing fancy, and it definitely didn’t lend itself to a themed kitchen where everything matched, including your cookware. Well … welcome to the future! Nowadays, you can buy enameled cast-iron pieces that come in a variety of colors. Companies are making metallic-finished cast iron with brass, bronze, copper, and even silver. This section takes a deep look at some of these varieties and explores the pros and cons.
The world of cast iron has definitely evolved over the years, and so has the cost. Table 1-1 gives you an idea of the cost difference between traditional, modern, and other nonstick cookware. As you read this table, keep the following in mind:
The prices are approximate. You may pay more or less, depending on whether you buy your cookware from a retailer or the manufacturer or order it from a third party that’s offering discounts.
All the non-cast-iron items listed come from nonstick product lines. When seasoned properly, cast iron has a nonstick surface, so I include only comparable surfaces.
TABLE 1-1 Cost of New Cast Iron versus Other Cookware
10-inch Skillet
12-inch Skillet
Cast Iron
Natural finish
$25
$30
Preseasoned
$34
$50
Enameled
$70
$90
Carbon Steel
$45
$50
Nonstick Cookware
All Clad
$100
$120
Calphalon
$60
$80
Cuisinart
$40
$60
Le Crueset
$120
$130
Over the past two decades, new producers of cast iron have been emerging across the United States. Lodge Manufacturing previously held a monopoly as the sole domestic producer of cast iron for many years. However, the landscape has evolved, and today, several other American brands have entered the market. Here is a list of some of these brands made in United States:
American Skillet Co. — made in Wisconsin
Appalachian Cast Iron Co. — made in Tennessee
Borough Furnace — made in New York
Butter Pat Industries — made in Pennsylvania and Maryland
Field Company — made in Illinois, Indiana, and Wisconsin
Finex — made in Oregon
Fredericksburg Cast Iron — made in Texas
Grizzly — made in North Carolina
Lancaster Cast Iron — made in Pennsylvania
Lodge Manufacturing — made in Tennessee
Marquette Castings — made in Michigan
Nest Homeware — made in Pennsylvania and Rhode Island
Smithy Ironware Co. — made in South Carolina
Stargazer Cast Iron — made in Wisconsin, Ohio, and Pennsylvania
Although I primarily focus on traditional cast iron in this book, it’s important that you’re aware of the alternatives. Every pan has its pros and cons, with two of the major factors being cost and time. Most nonstick pans have an expiration date, meaning at some point they’ll start sticking. Investing in cast iron is a long-term investment. If maintained properly, your investment will far outperform all other nonstick cookware.
Aside from the great return, cast iron is also economical. Cooking with cast iron uses less heat. Cast iron absorbs and retains heat so efficiently that you use less fuel when you cook with it. On the flip side, because it retains heat well after you put it off the stove or take it out of the oven, you don’t have to worry about your food cooling down right away, which makes it great for family style meals. Chapter 5 explains the heating properties of cast iron and how these affect the way you cook in more detail.
A PAN IS BORN
The process used to make cast-iron cookware, sand casting, has existed for many centuries, and the basic technique is still pretty much the same as it’s always been: Take a mold shaped in sand, pour in molten iron, let it cool, chip away the sand, and there you go.
Of course, the actual process is a little more complex than that. Lodge Manufacturing mixes and melts pig iron (basically iron ore) and scrap steel (the leftovers from the manufacture of electric plates — the cleanest scrap steel available) together in a 2,800-degree furnace. After slagging off the impurities, which rise to the top, Lodge tests the molten iron to make sure that it meets quality and safety standards.
Then the molten iron is poured into the cast, a sand-clay mold. After it cools, the mold is dumped onto a vibrating conveyor belt that shakes the sand mold loose from the cast-iron product. The cast iron is then shot blasted with millions of tiny BB’s to remove any crusted sand that remains. Rough or sharp edges left over from the molding process are ground by hand, and the pan is literally stone washed to remove any remaining dust and smooth the pan’s surface.
Lastly, the pan is dipped in a food-grade, FDA-approved wax dip to protect it from rust during shipping. One final quality control check looks for imperfections or flaws, tossing out any cast-iron products that don’t meet the standards before packaging and sending the product to destinations around the world.
Offering versatility and variety
As plain as it looks, cast iron offers plenty of variety regarding what you cook and how and where you cook it:
The selection is huge.
Cast iron comes in just about any kind of pan, pot, and cookware shape you can think of. In addition to fry pans and skillets, you can find cast-iron griddles, grill pans, serving pots, Dutch ovens, pizza pans, melting pots, kettles, casseroles, loaf pans, muffin pans, woks, minis, and more. For information on selecting your cookware and specialty items, head to
Chapter 2
.
A single pan covers a multitude of dishes.
Just because you can find all sorts of different cast-iron products doesn’t mean that you need to have them to have a well-stocked kitchen. You can use a single cast-iron skillet for just about any cooking task: Bake a cake (
Chapter 11
), sear a filet (
Chapter 6
), roast a chicken (
Chapter 7
), fry potatoes or stir-fry vegetables (
Chapter 9
) — one skillet is all you need. But if, like me, you discover that cast-iron cooking is loads of fun and makes the food you cook in it taste great, you’re probably going to want more than a single skillet.
Cast iron isn’t particular about where you cook. With cast iron, you begin a recipe on the stovetop, for example, and then move it to the oven to finish. In fact, many recipes in this book instruct you to begin the dish in one place and then transfer it to another. You can even take your cast iron outside to cook under the sun or stars.
This one probably goes without saying, but you cannot use cast iron in your microwave. If you do, you’ll ruin your pan and your oven, and the fireworks display won’t be worth the cleanup and replacement costs.
You can use it for most cooking tasks.
Cast iron is great for baking, simmering, braising, roasting, frying, grilling, and more. Really, the only thing that you don’t want to do on a regular basis with your cast iron is boil water in it. (Water breaks down the seasoning and can cause your cast iron to rust; head to
Chapter 4
for information on caring for your cast iron.)
You can cook almost anything in it.
Although cast iron made its reputation as the cookware to use for good, ol’ fashioned cooking, don’t let this reputation limit you as to how you use it. Because of its heating properties, its nonstick surface, its ability to withstand high temperatures, and the fact that you can use it both in the oven and on the stovetop, you can cook just about any food in it. Of course, some rules exist for what you can cook in cast iron and how you should cook it.
Chapter 5
includes all the cooking tricks and techniques that are an important part of successful cast-iron cooking.
It’s cookware and serving ware all rolled up in one.
Regardless whether you’re a novice home cook or a seasoned professional, cast iron is the perfect backdrop to accentuate your culinary masterpiece. Over the years, various companies have emerged, offering diverse, eclectic cast-iron pan lines catering to different cultures and cuisines. Nowadays, you can find everything from woks to giant paella pans and even small cast-iron minis used for individual portions. The possibilities are endless! Check out
Chapter 2
for more about different types of cast iron.
Here’s to your good health
The evolution of food, science, and technology has transformed people’s perceptions of how they eat, what they eat, and how much they eat. Unfortunately for many, when they think about cast-iron cooking, thanks to brand recognition, they think of fried chicken, fried fish, buttery cakes, and a list of many other comfort foods that are sure to shorten your life span.
I challenge you to think differently and cook healthier. Food can be delicious without all the extra fat. As I share with the recipes in Part 4, flavor can be extracted, infused, and enhanced in so many ways.
Well-seasoned cast iron is virtually stick-free, requiring less or no oil — a characteristic of many heart-healthy recipes. You can cook any of the dishes that you would normally cook in any other nonstick pan in a cast-iron skillet. Cast iron isn’t just good for heavy comfort foods; you can also use it to cook healthier, lighter fare. The trick is to keep your cast iron well-seasoned. (Chapter 3 tells you how.)
Cooking in cast iron also boosts your iron intake. Trace amounts of iron get absorbed into the foods you cook.
The World Health Organization (WHO) considers iron deficiency to be the most prevalent nutritional disorder in the world, being one of the major contributing factors to anemia. People at high risk of iron deficiency or anemia include women of childbearing age, pregnant women, older infants and toddlers, and teenage girls. Also at risk are those who suffer a significant or ongoing blood loss due to a trauma or a disease. After you’re diagnosed with an iron deficiency, you can’t take in enough iron from the food that you eat to make up for the iron you lost.
Showing Special Consideration to Your Prized Possession
By design cast iron is made to last. It’s tough enough to withstand plenty of rough treatment. You don’t have to worry about scratching it, so feel free to cook with everything from your favorite wooden spoon to that beautiful bubble whisk for sauces or maybe that metal spatula that flexes just right in the pan. Unlike with nonstick coating in your other pans, pretty much anything can be used in cast-iron pans. Despite how tough and versatile it is, preserving the longevity does require some special care:
You have to season it.
Seasoning is the key to cooking in cast iron. Without the proper seasoning, food will stick and taste metallic, and your pan is more susceptible to rust. Seasoning isn’t difficult, but it does take a little time. For information on how to season or reseason a pan, skip to
Chapter 3
.
The dark patina takes a while to achieve. Cooking with your pan frequently can help your pan along; washing and storing it as described in Chapter 4 also helps, but a new cast-iron pan takes a while to break in. After it’s broken in, though, you’re going to have a hard time finding another type of pan that beats it for usefulness and flavor.
If you can’t stand the idea of seasoning a pan yourself or you want the instant gratification of a pan that’s already been seasoned before you lay hands on it, consider wheedling Grandma out of her cast iron or buy preseasoned cast iron, which is now available.
To preserve your pan’s seasoning, be careful when cooking certain types of foods.
Acidic foods, such as tomatoes or citrus products, can react to the iron and mess up your seasoning. So as a rule, avoid cooking these types of foods until your pan is well seasoned.
Chapter 5
explains this and other cooking techniques that you need to know.
Cooking successfully in cast iron requires certain techniques that may be unfamiliar to you. Did you know, for example, that before you pour batter into a cast-iron pan, you should preheat the pan? You’d be surprised at the difference this little trick makes to the consistency and flavor of your foods. You can find other successful tips like this in Chapter 5.
You have to follow a few cleaning and storage rules.
These rules keep the seasoning intact and help you avoid rust. But don’t worry, they aren’t difficult to follow: Don’t use soap; don’t put it in the dishwasher; store the cookware in a cool, dry place, and so on, but they may be different from what you’re used to. Head to
Chapter 4
for cleaning and storage instructions and
Chapter 25
for some do’s and don’ts.
Cast iron weighs a ton.
You can look at this as a good thing: Because of its weight, it’s sturdy, and it’ll help you stay buff. Or you can look at its heaviness as a negative: Heaven forbid that you should try to anchor it on the drywall in your kitchen.
Before you throw up your hands and proclaim that cast iron isn’t worth the effort, try to keep a little perspective: These care instructions aren’t much different from the instructions that come with fancier and more expensive cookware. Various manufacturers include the recommendation that you not wash their cookware in a dishwasher. (The detergent is too abrasive and can mar the surface.) And you’re likely to find added warnings: Don’t use high heat, or you void your warranty; don’t use metal utensils, or you run the risk of damaging the nonstick surface and ruining your pan.
If you don’t follow the care and cleaning instructions with cast iron, what you run the risk of ruining isn’t the pan; it’s the seasoning. It’s a hassle, but you can fix that.
Chapter 2
Selecting Cast-Iron Cookware
IN THIS CHAPTER
Cooking and serving with cast iron
Knowing how to recognize quality
Identifying the tools you may need along the way
The evolution of cast iron has transcended the perspective of food both culturally and conceptually. Whether you’re whipping up a family-style meal at home, camping for the weekend, or looking to elevate a dish, the adaptability of cast iron allows you, the cook, to shine. On your journey to discovering the right cast-iron pan, consider a few things before investing your money. Like in life, you always want to start with a goal: What are you hoping to achieve? For example, if you’re beginning, you may only want to invest in a standard 10-inch pan to get a feel for cooking. If you’re an avid camper, you may want a Dutch oven, which is excellent for stews and chilis. If you’re like me, a professional chef, you may want a griddle or a wok. You may want a grill press for your meats or cast-iron minis, which are great for sides. No matter where you are on your culinary journey, cast iron can meet you in the middle.
Chapter explains the different cast-iron pieces and accessories available and tells you what to look for when you’re shopping for cast iron (quality matters because you want cast iron that’s safe, easy to use, and durable), whether you’re buying it new or used. And for those just beginning their cast-iron cooking adventures, this chapter also advises you on essential cookware.
Choosing the Right Pan
When you’re looking to add cast iron to your kitchen, you can find both new and used cast-iron cookware in a variety of shapes and sizes. Depending on where you are on your culinary journey, your aspirations may be different. The most popular pieces are the skillets and Dutch ovens, but you can find all sorts of other basic pans and pots, too, as well as specialty items. Keep reading for an explanation of the different kinds of cast-iron products and the types of food that you can cook in them.
THE EVOLUTION OF CAST IRON: CLASSICS VERSUS MODERN
From the discovery of fire to earthenware, copper, and cast iron, it's pretty remarkable that all of these materials have stood the test of time. Cast iron, in particular, has evolved and continues to diversify its value in many ways.
Hands down, when you look at the early cast iron produced in the early 1700s there is just something special about the way they made pans back then. In the early 1700s Abraham Darby patented a method for casting iron into relatively thin pots, making them cheaper to produce.
Personally, I love super smooth interior surfaces and deep sides. It feels like you’re cooking on a glass pan. They’re easy to clean and even easier to use. What I don't like about the antique pans is the thin bottoms. Unlike modern cast iron, where it's usually the same thickness from the bottom to the sides, traditionally, the bottoms were made thinner so that they would heat up quickly. On the one hand, that’s great as your food gets hot faster, but on the other hand, it means you need to watch your heat on the pan because it easily burns or scorches food.
When you’re looking at a modern pan, the first thing to notice is that the surface is rougher. Now over time, it will become somewhat smoother, but it will always remain bumpier than your antique pan. Modern pans also have an assist handle in the back, which is great when you need to move the pan. Another great addition is the side spout, which is fantastic when you need to strain off fat, stocks, or sauce from a pan.
When you talk about cast iron, you have to talk about versatility. Although some items are designed with a special purpose in mind (the camp oven, for example, is designed for use outside), you can use cast-iron cookware in a variety of ways and for several different purposes. Use it indoors or out. Put it on the stove or in the stove. Bake a pie in a Dutch oven or roast a chicken in a fry pan. I explain what these pans are generally used for. How you use them depends on your own cooking style, need, and imagination.
For information about where to go to buy cast iron and how to recognize well-made cast iron, head to the section “Buying the Right Cast Iron” later in this chapter.
Skillets
Cast-iron skillets (see Figure 2-1) come in a variety of sizes, from very small (approximately 6 inches in diameter, some less) to very large (more than 15 inches in diameter). With average depths between 1¼ inches and 2½ inches (depending on the size of the pan), skillets are great for a number of cooking tasks, on the stove or in the oven:
Baking
Braising
Broiling
Pan-frying
Roasting
Simmering
Stir-frying
The size you need depends on how you plan to use your skillet and how many people that you need to feed. The smaller skillets are great for making great one- or two-serving meals and side dishes. The medium-size skillets (9 to 11 inches) are good for feeding average-size parties and baking cakes, breads, and biscuits. Reserve the larger pans for when you need to feed a crowd.
In addition to the standard round skillets, square skillets are also available (see Figure 2-2), and you can use them in the same way that you use the round skillets. Some — particularly the smaller ones with shallow sides — can function as mini-griddles (see the “Griddles and grill pans” section, later in this chapter). These are ideal for grilled cheese sandwiches or pancakes if you want to make one or two at a time.
Photograph courtesy of Lodge Manufacturing Co.
FIGURE 2-1: Cast-iron skillets are good, all-purpose cooking utensils.
Photograph courtesy of Lodge Manufacturing Co.
FIGURE 2-2: You can also find square skillets in different sizes.
Two dishes that, hands down, are better when cooked in a cast-iron skillet? Cornbread and Pineapple Upside-Down Cake. (See Chapter 19 and 21 for great cornbread and cake recipes.) Many southern cooks, in fact, will tell you that they keep one skillet reserved solely for cornbread. Just as many will say that making Pineapple Upside-Down Cake in anything other than a cast-iron skillet is tantamount to heresy
Fry pans
Fry pans (refer to Figure 2-3) are similar to skillets except that the sides of fry pans are deeper (usually 3 inches or deeper) so that the grease doesn’t splatter as much when you’re frying. You can perform many of the same cooking tasks in these pans that you can in the skillets. Because of the depth of the pan, you can also use fry pans to do the following:
Deep-frying:
When you deep-fry, you submerge the food completely in hot oil instead of cooking the food a side at a time as you do when pan-frying.
Simmering stews and soups:
Whereas shallower pans tend to expose too much of the soup’s surface to evaporation, fry pans are deep enough to give you a nice slow simmer without drying out the broth.
Slow-cooking foods on the stovetop or in the oven:
If you have a lid or want to cover the top with aluminum foil, you can use a fry pan in the same way that you use a Dutch oven. See the section “
Dutch ovens
,” later in this chapter.
Photograph courtesy of Lodge Manufacturing Co.
FIGURE 2-3: The deeper sides of a fry pan mean less splattering and less mess.
Griddles and grill pans
Griddles (refer to Figure 2-4) can be round, square, or rectangular (long enough to fit across two burners on your stovetop), and they come in various sizes. The smooth surface and shallow sides (usually ½ inch or less) are perfect for making pancakes (see Chapter 10) and hot sandwiches; frying eggs, bacon, and anything else; roasting vegetables (Chapter 9); and making great foods of the hand-held variety (see Chapter 23).
Photograph courtesy of Lodge Manufacturing Co.
FIGURE 2-4: A sampling of griddles.
Grill pans (see Figure 2-5) are exactly what they sound like: Pans that you use to grill food (vegetables, seafood, poultry, meat, and so on), either on the stovetop or over a campfire. The ribbed bottom keeps the food out of the drippings and leaves nice sear marks, much like you’d get from cooking on an outdoor grill.
Photograph courtesy of Lodge Manufacturing Co.
FIGURE 2-5: The ribbed bottom of a grill pan keeps your food up and out of any drippings.
Because of the ribbed bottom, grill pans aren’t suitable for anything other than grilling. If you don’t believe me, try stirring a stew or getting cornbread to pop out.
Dutch ovens
Dutch ovens are deep-sided pots with lids that you can use on the stovetop or inside the oven. They’re the original slow cookers. Put in the food, slap on a lid, set the oven to a low or medium temperature, and then come back a few hours later to a tender, delicious meal. But you can use your versatile Dutch oven for more than slow cooking. You can also use Dutch ovens for
Baking
Braising
Deep-frying
Pan-frying
Simmering
You name it; a Dutch oven can probably do it.
Staying inside or getting outdoors
If you go looking for a Dutch oven, keep in mind that they fall into two categories: those designed primarily for indoor cooking and those designed for outdoor cooking (see Figure 2-6). The differences between the two are as follows:
The lid:
An indoor oven has a domed lid. The lid of an outdoor oven is generally flatter and is
flanged
(has a lip around the rim) so that you can put coals on the top.
The bottom:
Indoor Dutch ovens have flat bottoms; outdoor Dutch ovens have three short legs to keep the oven above the heat source.
What they’re called:
Indoor Dutch ovens are called
Dutch ovens.
Some people call them
bean pots.
Outdoor Dutch ovens are called
camp ovens
or, less frequently,
cowboy ovens.
You, however, may call yours anything you want.
For more information about cooking in the great outdoors (including camp oven info) and some recipes to go with it, head to Chapter 22.
Photograph courtesy of Lodge Manufacturing Co.
FIGURE 2-6: A Dutch oven for indoor use (left) and a camp oven, designed for cooking outdoors (right).
PLAYING THE DUTCH OVEN NAME GAME
A cast-iron pot by any other name would cook as well. Basically, what it’s called doesn’t make a lick of difference. Lodge Manufacturing, a cast-iron manufacturer, for example, uses the term Dutch oven to refer to the flat-bottomed ovens and outdoors camp oven to refer to the oven with legs. Wagner, another manufacturer of cast-iron cookware (which went out of business in 1999), preferred the term cowboy oven for the outdoor ovens. Some people use the term camp oven to refer to Dutch ovens that you use outside and Dutch oven to refer to those that you use inside. What you need to know is that if you go looking for a camp oven, Dutch oven, cowboy oven, bean pot, or whatever it may be called in your neck of the woods, you may be at a linguistic disadvantage if the person you’re talking to uses a different term. If that’s the case, stick with Dutch oven, which seems to be the term that most people recognize and add any descriptors (with legs, that I can cook outdoors in, and so on) that you need to make yourself clear.
By the way, people can’t even agree on why these devices are called Dutch ovens in the first place. Some claim the name was given to these pots because the sand-casting method was created in Holland (which may stun the Chinese who were making cast-iron products as early as 800 to 700 Bc).
