basics365: Cast Iron Skillet

April 14, 2013Add Comments

A cast iron skillet is a fundamental kitchen basic with many benefits (inexpensive, cooks well, adds healthy iron).  Because they need special care they can be intimidating, but Kimberly breaks it down and makes it easy – give it a try!

Back in college, one of the first things I ever purchased for my own kitchen was a cast iron pan. I bought it at a small hardware store and used it for many years. Looking back, I realize that it was a natural choice for me since my mom had frequently used a cast iron skillet, and many of the first dishes I attempted to cook were in that pan. I distinctly remember her digging out her old rusty cast iron pan from deep in the cupboard and taking the time to “season” it again. After scouring the rust away, applying oil to the entire pan, and then baking it, her skillet was as good as new.

The skillet I had purchased at the hardware store later became a housewarming gift for a dear friend. I know it sounds unusual to give a used pan as a gift, but my friend understood perfectly. The more you use cast iron, the better seasoned the pan gets, meaning that it has a great nonstick surface. There was a lot of love devoted to that pan, so it was a big deal that I passed the skillet (including all of the memories and affection associated with it) along to her. That’s one of the many great things about cast iron skillets – they will last a lifetime if you give them the proper care, which is actually quite simple once you know what to do.

Benefits of cast iron:

• Inexpensive (a 10- to 12-inch pan costs $20 to $40 depending on the brand).
• Once seasoned, cast iron is a great nonstick surface to cook on. The more you use your skillet, the better the surface gets.
• They take a while to heat up, but once warmed, they retain the heat beautifully.
• Any foods you cook on cast iron will naturally be enriched with iron.

How do you season a cast iron skillet?:

• You can purchase a pre-seasoned cast iron pan if you would like to skip this step (Lodge sells a lot of pre-seasoned pans) but it’s good to understand the basic process in case you inadvertently remove your “seasoning” along the way. (This can happen if you use highly acidic ingredients, such as tomatoes or vinegar, or if you use soap while cleaning it—see below.)
• Rinse with water and dry the skillet well.
• Coat the entire surface with vegetable oil and place in a 350° oven for an hour. You can repeat this as often as you want to maintain the pan.

Everyday care:

• Do not use soap to clean a cast iron skillet because it damages the seasoned, or nonstick, surface. Scrub the pan to remove any food (using a nylon or bamboo scrubber), and run under warm water. Soap is not necessary to disinfect the pan because according to the manufacturer it easily reaches 400°F in 4 minutes on medium heat and is sterile at 212°F.
• Scrub the skillet well after each use. Place the skillet back on the stove and heat it on medium low to dry completely. Once the pan is warm, pour a small amount of oil into the pan and rub it around the surface with a paper towel. Be careful since the surface, including the handle, will be hot. Once the skillet cools it will be ready to use again.

basics365 Recipe:  Cast-Iron Skillet Potatoes