07.12.07
Posted in Cooking Tips & Tricks at 4:44 pm by henri
Cast iron cookware is an extremely versatile and economic alternative to expensive copper and copper clad cookware. If you aren’t currently using at least a couple of cast iron pans in your kitchen, you really should consider it.
Cast iron has several advantages over other cookware. Cast iron pans have excellent heat conduction and retention, so you get even heating over the whole surface of the pan. If there are no wooden handles on your cast iron cookware, you can use it either on the stove, or in the oven.
Properly seasoned and cared for, cast iron is just as non stick as any fancy non-stick pans. Cast iron is very durable. Some of you may have cast iron pans from your grandmother’s kitchen that are still in excellent condition. Cast iron pans are very inexpensive compared to the fancy copper pans. On the other side of the coin, there are some disadvantages to cast iron. Cast iron pans are very heavy. If not properly treated, cast iron pans can be prone to rust.
Cast iron pans must be handwashed, they are not dishwasher safe. Cast iron pans require a bit more maintenance than regular pans (but not too much more). If you properly care for your cast iron, it will give you many years of use. Some cast iron comes pre-seasoned, so you don’t need to season it yourself. If you need to season it, simply rub it with oil, shortening, or lard, and heat for an hour in a 300 degree oven. Then remove the pan and let it cool. You can repeat this process a couple more times to strengthen the bond of the seasoning.
What seasoning does, is it fills in the pores in the iron with the oil, helping to prevent food from sticking and to create a protective coating. You should never use soap in a cast iron pan.
To clean them, just use hot water and a plastic scouring pad, don’t use steel wool, or it could ruin the seasoning (if this happens, just re-season the pan). After washing, dry the pan throughly with lint free paper towels. Store the pans with the lid off to prevent moisture from building up and causing the pan to rust. Other cast iron care tips:
Do not use cast iron to cook acidic foods, cast iron is a reactive metal, and will react with the acids. Never use your cast iron pans to store food; You can use them to keep food warm during a meal, but when the meal is over, move the food into proper storage containers, and wash your pan. If you don’t currently have any cast iron cookware, I suggest getting some and trying it. A good skillet and dutch oven are good pans to start with.
They can be used for pan frying, deep frying, roasting, and stewing. I’ve even used two pans as a makeshift sandwich press.
Whatever the disadvantages of cast iron cookware, they are far outweighed by the advantages. Properly cared for, cast iron cookware will last for years of great meals.
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07.10.07
Posted in Cooking Tips & Tricks at 4:42 pm by henri
Nothing is more frustrating than trying to cook a delicious meal and having it stick to the bottom of the pan. A well season or cured pan will make cooking more fun, easier to clean and create better tasting food. There is a saying in the restaurant business; Hot pan - Cold oil. Meaning never put the oil in a cold pan and then heat it up. By heating the pan first and then adding the oil, then immediately the food, you’ll have much less sticking. Furthermore if you season the pan when you first purchase it, you will have even better results.
Curing by metal types
Stainless Steel - Unfortunately stainless steel cannot be seasoned because of the hardness of the metal. A matter of fact I don’t know of a single restaurant which uses stainless steel pan. They are great for storing food because the food won’t react with the metal, but horrible for cooking. My advice is just stay away from them altogether.
Aluminum - First wash the pan with soup and water using a sponge or cloth (no steel sponge). Rinse and dry thoroughly. Heat the pan until hot then add two ounces of oil to the pan. Carefully swirl the pan so the oil coats every part of the pan. Let the pan cool. Remove the oil and repeat the process one more time. From this point on, never use soap again. Wash with warm water and dry with a paper towel. If some food does stick us a little salt with oil and a paper towel to remove it.
Teflon and other non stick surfaces - Non stick technology has come a long way over the years and there are dozens of infomercials to prove it. But the truth is even non stick pans will eventually stick. Follow the steps for seasoning aluminum pans and your non stick pans will last longer and perform better. Remember after the first time, never wash with soup again.
Cast iron and wok’s - For cast iron and wok’s the process is similar, but because of the nature of the metal you’ll heat the pans to a much higher temperature. Fist wash the pan with soup and water then dry thoroughly. Heat the pan up until it is very hot. Add two ounces of oil and swirl to coat all sides. Let cool and remove excess oil. Heat the pan up again until it begins to smoke. Add more oil and repeat the process until you’ve done this three times. Never wash again and always store you pans at any angle or by hanging so they won’t rust.
By taking the time to properly season you pans, you will enjoy cooking much more and increase the life of your investment. I recommend spending a little extra money and buying good quality pans and take care of them, in the long run you?ll be much happier. Another tip is to never buy pans with plastic or wooden handles because you can’t place them in the oven. As you increase you cooking skills you’ll find many recipes start on the burner then move to the oven. By having an all metal pan this transition is flawless.
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