cast iron cooking, anyone else do it on a regular basis?

[jeep-N-montero]

Over the last few months my wife and I have been replacing our regular cookware with cast iron for everyday use in the kitchen. I used to think that I would miss the nice non-stick Calphalon set we had because it was easy to use and well built, and thought cast iron would be too heavy, but now I will never use anything but cast iron. Our food tastes better and a well-seasoned cast iron skillet has very good non-stick properties. And did I mention that cast iron cooks steak like no other pan can? So far we have an enamel-coated Descoware 6 quart pot, 8 quart enamel-coated dutch oven, 4 or 5 different size seasoned cast iron frying pans, and an 8 and 12 quart seasoned dutch ovens.

Any tips or hints you guys want to share?

 

[Skylinerider]

I love my cast iron skillet, and I'm wanting to get a couple enamel coated dutch ovens for the house, but I love using my Lodge dutch ovens every chance I get.

 

[Kevin B.]

I love my cast iron. I don't use anything else, unless it's for an acidic dish.

You'll hear people tell you not to use soap when cleaning. It's actually not that big a deal to use a little soap to get greasy or oily stuff out of the pan. The biggest thing I think you can do to damage your cast iron is to leave it soaking or wet. Scrub it clean right away, dry it well on the burner, and store it with a quick spray of cooking oil and they'll keep a real good season.

I want a couple of those enamel pans too.

 

[sixstringsteve]

we use 100% cast iron at my house. My wife doesn't use the microwave for anything but boiling water, and she doesn't use teflon-coated cookware for health reasons.

 

[Spork]

Smiths had some enamel cast iron dutch ovens on sale and I picked one up. So far it's been great, kind of different than the normal dutch oven.

 

[nnnnnate]

I bought an enameled dutch oven for my birthday in November and like it quite a bit. I also picked up an enameled skillet a bit ago and have to agree it does quiet well cooking steak. I have yet to get any regular cast iron ware but would like to try some outdoor dutch oven recipes this summer.

I'm actually looking for a cobbler recipe that uses fresh fruit and is made from scratch. Peach, berry, or whatever would be awesome if anyone has something like that.

 

[Kevin B.]

My favorite cobbler: pour your fruit or berries or whatever into the oven, with a little water or fruit juice if necessary. Sprinkle a box or two of Jif mix in, don't stir. Coals on the bottom and top, just enough to bring it to a simmer. When the juice just starts to come up through the Jif mix, drizzle a can of sprite over the top and button it up again until cooked.

 

[jeep-N-montero]

Been giving the cast iron lost of love the last month and cooking with it 6-8 times a week, even more so on our trip to Moab and loving it even more with the nice non-stick finish building up. No cobbler yet but soon.

 

[frieed]

Best biscuit pan in the world is the Lodge cast iron one with the 7 separate compartments.
Make your biscuit more of a batter than a dough, preheat that lodge bad-boy in the oven @425,
add about 1/4 tbs butter to each section then a big scoop of batter and let those biscuits fry in the butter.

I also use it to pre-make round egg patties to use for breakfast sandwiches on the pie iron.

 

[Rot Box]

When I was a teenager my mother gave me an old cast iron fry pan. That was well over ten or so years ago and I still use it daily. I love cast iron. Supposedely they're bad for my glass top range.. If it comes down to it the range will go before the cast will

 

[spacecase]

i had a question, does it matter what you start cooking in a dutch oven to get a good season or is the initial oil treatment good enough?

i got a new one a year or so ago and am wanting to get it seasoned and put to some good use this summer.

 

[Kevin B.]

The initial oil treatment is nowhere near enough. I think the best way to season cast iron is to give it a good initial seasoning and then use the crap out of it.

My dad always used the cleaning cycle in the oven, but I think that gets too hot and smokes off the oil before it gets good and deep in the pores. Some people swear by flaxseed or sunflower oil, I just use whatever cooking oil is on the shelf. Heat the pan up real good, you want the oil to hit its smoke point and keep it there. Best to do this outside, because breathing that crap isn't high on the list of Ways To Be Nice To Your Lungs. Keep it going for about thirty minutes, add oil as needed and keep it spread around with a basting brush or something. Let it cool, then wipe off the excess oil and get to cooking. Over time, it'll develop a deep black smooth finish that you have to try to get food stuck to.

 

[gary78bronco]

I love to cook with Cast Iron. It gives it the best flavor IMHO..

 

[spacecase]

so i'll prob have some sticking and burning for awhile until it gets a good seasoning, try to cook oily foods for awhile or does it matter make much of a difference?

 

[skeptic]

Growing up my mother did most of her cooking on cast iron, so naturally when I got out on my own a cast iron skillet became my main thing to cook on. Over the years GFs/Wives have taken over the cooking chores, I'm a terrible cook, and somewhere along the line cast iron went away.

 

[Kevin B.]

so i'll prob have some sticking and burning for awhile until it gets a good seasoning, try to cook oily foods for awhile or does it matter make much of a difference?

You'll need to use oils or fats at first for anything naturally sticky (eggs, potatoes, etc). You'll need less and less over time though.

 

[spacecase]

awesome, thanx for the info kevin.