Put down the teflon. Cast Iron is durable, non-stick, and way more versatile than anything else in your kitchen. Here’s how to make it work 😉
I cook on cast iron. Every day. And that is pretty much all I use. I have noticed that there is a lot of intimidation involved with cast iron. I would have to guess that a great deal of it comes from the cast iron die-hards that regale you with the intricate procedures they have for keeping their pans seasoned, and how “easy” you can ruin that with some soap.
I call BS. People have been cooking with cast iron pans for hundreds of years. Apart from putting them in the dishwasher, or letting them soak in a soapy vat overnight, they’re pretty indestructible. So grab your grandmother’s skillet, and lets get to work!
Cook on it.
Yeah, it’s that easy. There are people that recommend seasoning your skillet by cooking a few pounds of bacon in it, and while I can’t say that this is wrong, it is not entirely necessary. But you do need to use it. The more you cook in your pan, the better it will be. My advice is to get it hot. Put a burner on medium high and let that cast iron heat up before you do anything.
For quite a while, use more cooking oil than you would normally. But try not to let things like olive oil smoke. That will just set your smoke alarm off. You want that pan hot enough for the outer layer of the egg (or whatever you put on it) to crisp and sear quickly. If you put food into cold cast iron and heat it, it will stick in the pores. And practice. Your skillet and your stove are going to be different than mine, you need to learn it.
Don’t be afraid to clean it.
Soap? No soap? That’s up to you. A dishwasher will be a death sentence to your seasoning, but joy soap and a dishrag isn’t going to hurt it. If there is nothing caked on I usually just give it a quick wipe down with a wet cloth and heat it dry. If there is particularly stubborn crud stuck to it I usually scrape it off with a spatula or hard plastic pan scraper. If it looks incredibly dry and porous after you clean and heat it, I would throw in a splash of vegetable oil and wipe it out with a paper towel. Buzzy Wax makes an amazing product for this as well. But don’t be afraid to clean your cast iron. Here is a quick tutorial on cleaning it.
Use you cast iron for more than eggs.
Get a dutch oven too. It is amazing what you can do with one. I use them to bake break, make popcorn, stews, soups, even pasta sauce. The bonus if you like popcorn is that the popping kernels bounce around coating everything with oil when you make it.
Dutch Oven Bread
This might be one of my favorite things to make. If you heat up a Dutch oven inside your oven during the pre-heat and throw a ball of bread dough in it, you’re going to be amazed. The small space of the Dutch oven will turn into a mini steam room, where your dough steams itself. Then you take the lid off for a few minutes, and you will have a crust you can’t believe!
Use Heat on your cast iron
This is important enough to repeat. Heat it up before you use it. One of the beautiful things about cast iron is its heat retention property. When I cook an egg, I get the skillet hot hot. Fry the bottom for a minute or so, then turn off the heat entirely after I flip it. The pan retains enough heat to cook the other side, but won’t burn it. This also works well for keeping food warm after it’s cooked. Just pop a lid on it and the cast iron will keep everything piping ready. Just don’t forget that your meats will continue cooking this way. They won’t dry out if the lid is on, but you will end up with medium well given enough time.
Don’t be afraid of your cast iron
I use mine every day, and everywhere. At home, camping, RVing, sailing across oceans, you name it. There is a reason it is still in use in so many industrial kitchens today.
Bonus: Cast iron can add iron to your diet
If you have tried my tips on cooking with cast iron, or any other recipe on Real Life with Dad, please rate the recipe. And be sure to follow us on FaceBook and Instagram @RealLifeWithDad
Ready to put these tips to work? Try these recipes out!
campfire skillet breakfast
skillet lasagna
campfire banana bread pudding
grilled campfire pizza