kim b.'s earthday pledge: good-bye teflon, hello cast iron
My lovely Teflon pan started flaking last week. Flaking. As in, I made a omelet and then I cleaned it only to notice that there were chunks missing. Yes, I’d wanted a new pan for a long time, but my mom has kept hers for years, so I figured I could wait a little bit.
So, it died.
Since I can’t buy a new pan and Teflon scares me anyway, I decided to jump onto the cast iron bandwagon. I found a antique shop near my workplace. The seller takes old cast iron pans and reconditions them, so they’re just about ready to use. As I stood there, looked over the pans and weighing each in my hand, one of the owners walked by. “There’s some more pans over here,” she said. “I love mine. I use them for everything.” She took me over to more pans. I decided to keep th one I had. a National #7. I think it’s about 9 or 10 inches. They had some Lodge pans too. If I were buying new, I would have gotten one of the new enameled lodge pans. They’re awfully cute.
Click through see what Kim cooked up!
As I checked out, the sweet older woman gave me her recipe for pineapple upside down cake and her husband told me how to finish the pan seasoning once I got home. They wrapped up my pan and some handkerchiefs and bade me a good day. That exchagne is exactly why I like buying second hand. Consignment store workers are extremely friendly and know exactly where to find the perfect dress. Antique store owners will tell you how to cook an artichoke if you compliment the artichoke painting on the wall. They’ll tell you how to use your new cast iron skillet.
When I got home, I put oil on the skillet and cooked up some sausage and zucchini and potato hash. I’ll keep cooking fatty, lovely, horrible things until the seasoning is set. I’ll never have to wash it. It will last me forever. My grandchildren will use it.
The simple beauty of reuse, when so many things in our world are disposable. Tissues, sponges, face wipes, everything is disposable for the ease of your life. But at what cost? It’s just a cast iron pan, but it means so much more. I just need to find some more recipes now.
Have you lost confidence in non-stick? Use cast iron? What do you cook in it?
See more of Kim’s Earthday pledges, here.
Kim B., who lives on the Central Coast of California, runs All That and A and Decorazzi when she’s not trying to be an interior designer, chef, or prize-winning journalist. It’s time consuming.
Cast iron all the way, for all the reasons you mentioned. Great for baking too.
I know everyone recommends not washing cast iron, but my family always has — all you need to do is wash it and then immediately dry it by heating it on the stovetop. This keeps the seasoning just fine and you don’t have to be icked out by the thought of using an unwashed pan.
Never wash a cast-iron pan once you have it seasoned. All you have to do is run it under hot-hot water after use, scrape off any crusty bits until you have a clean surface, and then wipe it dry with a paper towel (no need to dry by reheating on stovetop).
I am glad Liz has had such a positive experience using soap. I may reconsider my approach if I have a very “dirty” pan in the future. I’ve always used the theory of avoiding soap. Lots of hot water and a bit of scraping has done a good job of removing food residue without removing the seasoning. Then a quick dry in a cooling oven. A friend of mine goes overboard a bit, in my opinion – he refuses to use metal utensils in his. I have never had a problem scratching off my seasoning.
I cook almost everything in it. Nothing beats cast iron for putting a lovely crust on a pork tenderloin or a steak. When I was pregnant and low on iron, my doctor recommended cooking in cast iron and in particular (and this will freak people out) tomato sauces. Many will tell you that cooking acid sauces in cast iron will give the sauce an off, metallic taste and ruin your pan. But, as long as I kept the cooking time down, I did not have that experience.
i’ve had mine for years and it’s the best. another way to scrap off the bits is to rub it with lots of coarse salt with a rag. …at least that’s how my partner cleans it. i cook, he cleans. o, “the minimalist” at ny times had a great story on using the cast iron pan in the broiler to make everything >> http://www.nytimes.com/2007/01/31/dining/31mini.html?ex=1327899600&en=a2554c37622f0cdc&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss
le creuset pans are great too. sometimes it’s better because you can just make the sauce right in it (non-reactive). we rarely eat out anymore because they made our cooking better and easier– sear it on the stove then pop it in the oven to finish. easy and yummy.
I found that using a plastic pan scrapper is a quick way to get the crusty bits off– much better than using your fingernails– and it doesn’t ruin the surface!
I clean mine by hot water and a green or blue scour pad until I not catching the pad on any food bits. I will sometime dry it on the stove and rub a little oil over it while still hot.
My favorite thing to cook in my cast iron pan right now is Irish Soda Bread. I use this recipe with my own variations. “http://smittenkitchen.com/2007/03/blasphemous-bread”
One was currents and toasted fennel seed. Another was cranberry and orange (extract as I didn’t have any peel that day)
[...] it’s changing a lightbulb, getting rid of your Teflon, starting a compost pile or even recycling a bit, one change is more than you did before. Baby [...]
made a large batch of clam sauce in a iron skillet, when empying pan noticed it was rough on the inner rim only to find lots of flaking black stuff-is it harmful having this in my food