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Cast Iron cookware

Nick the Knife

Nick the Knife

Krill Enabler
Grand Society
Ok....

I'm going to post up a few things in these section that I think are REALLY underrated and that anyone who's worth his weight in salt should look into.

One of the first cabs of the rank is cast iron cookware. I'm not so much talking about your 'Le Creuset' type enamel coated cookware (eg dutch oven style) but instead your old school cast iron cookware that you'd have to season with oil etc.

Now a lot of this is really looked down upon and used by folks only for camping etc. IMHO this is a huge mistake and it is one of the absolute bargains that every avid cook should have in his kitchen.

I've had a cheap and nasty cast iron griddle (rectangular with the raised ridges across it) for around 5yrs now and earlier this yr grabbed a 3 pack of cast iron frying pans that of all places, Spotlight had on special. It was around $35 from memory. Made by RACO and 'endorsed' by Gabriel Gate.

If you treat these properly and know how to use them these are absolutely sensational!!!!!

I don't want to sermonise too much but cast iron as a material for cookware is just superb - the big thing being though that you HAVE to know how to care for it and what NOT to try and cook in it. Particularly until you get it 'seasoned' up well - even though these claim to be pre-seasoned you'd be very naive to think that they're ready for that fillet of whiting you had in the freezer!

Thin based, aluminium, non-stick coated pans are adored by the masses as they're user friendly (sound like cart razors to anyone) - but cast iron is sensational IF you can make the extra effort it needs.

Anyway - do have a look into it - the great thing is that you can buy a few pieces VERY cheaply and slowly season them up until you're 100% confident you start using them for more 'sticky' items. They are one of the few items in your kitchen that has the potential to be an heirloom if you care for it properly - which is ironic as even the top of the range Scanpan will be heading for the bin with a few yrs usage.

Happy to share some tips and welcome any thoughts folks have.

Cheers,

Nick :-)
 
Couldn't agree more Nick. My late father bought me a medium size cast iron frying pan about 20 years age and now it is the right condition, I cook everything in it from omelettes to fried to eggs to seared steaks. A most wonderous kitchen appliance.
 
Happy to hear more about these. I'm not rushing out the door to get any, but down the track maybe. We went through a few crappy frypans over the years, before getting a big bessemer one which is used for nearly everything and is holding up well.

What is it about the cast iron that's so good? I know it's damn heavy, which gives it some thermal inertia.
 
bodge said:
thermal inertia.
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This - when I cook scrambled eggs I wait until the butter starts to turn colour, pour in the eggs go stir stir stir and turn the heat off. The pan retains enough heat to cook the eggs to perfection - even better is steaks - heat the pan on a nice big gas burner drop in your steak - turn it only when it lifts off the frypan easily turn off the heat and cook to desired doneness (or rawness as your tastebuds dictate)
 
I went through countless frypans until getting some big heavy (I'm not kidding, I can barely lift it with one hand when it's empty) french branded pan, with a massive copper base and cast iron body.

It's freakishly awesome for retaining heat and has a reasonably deep lip.

You do have to know how to season and care for these...I oil mine after I wash it and put it away with nothing stacked in it. Same for the griddle/steak cooker pan.

It's not that dissimilar to breaking in a barbeque hotplate really.
 
Having a look at razor restoration actually lead me on to skillet restoration last week, they seem a great investment. Where should I look for cheap ones? Garage sales, op shops, that kind of thing?
 
I have only got a small cast frypan from Ikea, its ok but the cooking surface isn't as smooth as a good quality one. I keep looking in secondhand stores for a nice old one but no luck yet.
 
In no particular order or ranking here's some of the big pluses regarding cast iron cookware......some of them are fact others are just IMHO:

  • Exactly as stated by Glen the thermal characteristics of cast iron are a huge blessing. Aluminium finds it VERY hard to retain heat - hence its widely used as a preferred material to make heatsinks from in IT applications. So heat goes in but goes out just as fast. Cast iron can be equated to a 'bank' for heat....so it will RETAIN the heat you put in gradually getting hotter and hotter and doesn't lose it rapidly to the air as Aluminium vessels do. This is very handy as it gives you more control over what you cook and the heat (no hotspots) and it also gives superb results with many items eg. steaks cooked on a cast iron pan will be far superior to an aluminium one.
  • Cast iron can be used on ANY heat/stove top eg gas, ceramic, induction etc etc. Copper bases seem a nice idea but very problematic and aluminium doesn't work with induction.
  • Using them actually adds small amount Iron (Fe) to your food, so has nutritional benefits. I don't think the same can be said for Teflon or Aluminium. ;-)
  • Is actually VERY easy to clean once you've built up a good level of seasoning and also KNOW how to use them and what NOT to cook in them (e.g sugary or very acidic foods can cause problems or atleast a messy cleanup) - so having a backup 'non-stick' can be worthwhile - but thats why I feel the cast iron isn't for everything but does 80% better than others.

Seasoning them is the tricky part - but at the end of the day its pretty simple - you're laying down a layer of carbonised oil between the relatively porous cast iron and the food you'll be putting on. You really have to do it via multiple applications or/& going easy on it for the first few months use Loads of info all over on this. Best to buy all the pans you plan to use at once and season them at the same time (super light coating of oil (certain ones are better than others) then in a very hot oven for a few hrs and repeat!).

Cleaning once you've done this becomes a cinch....suffice to say NEVER toss water in the hot pan after use (amazes me how many folks do this and wonder why ther pans have warped bases!!!) - just allow to cool a little and wipe out whilst still hot with a damp cloth. You'll get steam coming off but it will clean it perfectly.

You should REALLY avoid using any kind of detergent - you will not need it and it will strip the seasoning. So always clean when hot, its very easy. Allow to cool and put away.

If you want to be very careful you can wipe a very thin layer of oil on after cleaning and whilst it's still warm - just make sure any water has evaporated off it or you will trap it and possibly cause rust.

Having a look at razor restoration actually lead me on to skillet restoration last week, they seem a great investment. Where should I look for cheap ones? Garage sales, op shops, that kind of thing?
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LIke I said Spotlight has a good 3 skillet pack for around $50 thats regularly on special. The completely cast iron ones are a lil tougher to find as folks frown on them - hence enameled version are more common. Target used to carry some, camping/outdoors stores are always a good bet.

Look for ones with the fixed handle thats been forged as one piece with the main section - some have bolt on handles that due to the weight get dodgy.

I have only got a small cast frypan from Ikea, its ok but the cooking surface isn't as smooth as a good quality one. I keep looking in secondhand stores for a nice old one but no luck yet.
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If the cooking surface isn't smooth enough you probably need to lay down a few more layers of 'seasoning'....or you can just use with oily foods for a while. Remember only wipe with a dry paper towel or water after use - never detergent.

I'm going to share an absolute MASTER OF A TRICK .........you know how many folks swear by pizza stones for getting that 'like a woodfire oven' type base on their home pizzas?

Well if you want a MUCH better result get a cast iron griddle or big skillet ( use a big griddle I have) - when you turn your oven on to pre-heat it put it in there, upside down. Then when the oven gets hot enough, pull the now VERY hot griddle out and put/make your pizza on it.

Depending on the thickness of your base it can be done in under 5mins and will give you a super crispy base that a pizza stone just can't match. Just be careful handling the uber-hot griddle etc......but trust me you'll not make a better pizza base at home (FWIW I've tried everything sourdough etc....go traditional yeast base 60:100 water to flour ratio....cold proof it in your fridge for atleast 48hrs to allow the flavour to develop....is good for up to a week).
 
I'd love to won some of these, but my other half is tiny, and complains that she can't lift the bloody things, so I'm stuck with Zebra brand rubbish.
 
I love my cast griddle pan, amazingly good for steak. Need more but also only live in an apartment with solid electric hobs. Next place needs to be gas!

Nick the Knife said:
I'm going to share an absolute MASTER OF A TRICK .........you know how many folks swear by pizza stones for getting that 'like a woodfire oven' type base on their home pizzas?

Well if you want a MUCH better result get a cast iron griddle or big skillet ( use a big griddle I have) - when you turn your oven on to pre-heat it put it in there, upside down. Then when the oven gets hot enough, pull the now VERY hot griddle out and put/make your pizza on it.
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Never considered this but immediately I can understand how this would work. Great tip and one I will remember.
 
Razormonsta said:
I love my cast griddle pan, amazingly good for steak. Need more but also only live in an apartment with solid electric hobs. Next place needs to be gas! Never considered this but immediately I can understand how this would work. Great tip and one I will remember.
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Oh its a GREAT trick, like I said is the CLOSEST you'll get to a proper woodfire base but without having to stoke a bloody fire for 3hrs +!!! Of course the result will depend on the quality of the base you make, as thats the most important bit BY FAR....this site is a cracking one if you're serious about home pizza making. I'd follow his recipe's but I don't like to use the sourdough starter (as he does) it tends to detract and make the dough far less user friendly and also doesn't add much in flavour or texture. That said I used a true wild sourdough and so the strain I got could have just not been a great one....tens of thousands of potential ones.

Yeast bases if done well and aged are so good I don't think anything else is really needed. :-)

I should point out too that the ACTUAL concept isn't mine.....another bald headed little man came up with it, you might have heard of him...Heston Blumenthal. He seems to use a lot of regular frying pan/skillets in his videos/tuts - DO NOT use these - they hold no heat. Has to be cast iron.
 
Yep I have one cast iron skillet. It is awesome! I don't use it often but I can do a beautiful steak on it when I am inside! The WeberQ I got for my Wifes Birthday (she is a keeper!) is what I use most often for steak now.

James
 
cast iron skillet + steak = yum

[video=youtube;4gTcwBC8oCE]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4gTcwBC8oCE[/video]
 
I had a look in Spotlight for the skillet set today and had no joy. the lady I asked had never seen them, but she did say that because it was a small store they carried less stuff. She rang the store at the local DFO and they allegedly have one in stock and have set it aside for me, so I'll hopefully pick it up tomorrow and give you guys a bit of a report on what they're like. I couldn't confirm the exact price, but the lady said she'd try and put it at the last sale price if she could find out what that was, so hopefully I'll get a good deal.

I have a good recipe for risotto that might benefit from this, I'll share it with you guys if it works. The only standout feature is seared beef cooked really quick (skillet would get a run here obviously), then using the pan juices and melting some butter and sage to use as a starter for the rice. Might sound a little strange, but it infuses the rice with a distinct flavour before the stock goes in. The beef gets sliced really thin, and then goes back in with the rice quite early to cook a bit more. A mate's nonno showed me how to make risotto like this, and I've never been able to replicate the brilliant richness of hers. I'll be trying until I'm dead, I think. The burnt sage butter with the pan juices is the key though, and I hope that the skillet will infuse the butter with it's own flavours in time.
 
Mong. said:
I had a look in Spotlight for the skillet set today and had no joy. the lady I asked had never seen them, but she did say that because it was a small store they carried less stuff. She rang the store at the local DFO and they allegedly have one in stock and have set it aside for me, so I'll hopefully pick it up tomorrow and give you guys a bit of a report on what they're like. I couldn't confirm the exact price, but the lady said she'd try and put it at the last sale price if she could find out what that was, so hopefully I'll get a good deal.
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Ah good for you.....like i said I'd read up and season them up plenty before you start using them. Plus get to know how to clean properly otherwise you'll undo all your seasoning work with one wash!

Word to the wise.. whilst Spotlight is a 'chick store' its worth getting one of the VIP cards, which are free to anyone who wants one. All the discounts and stuff need you to have one of these and they do have good household stuff from time to time.

If you pickup on/before 18SEP this might come in handy. Get a few more things (eg towels, sheets) and get another $30 off the end price if its over $100. :-)
 
Yeah, you get weird looks walking into Spotlight when you are a bloke on your own, but there are enough blokey things in there to keep it interesting. BBQ tools,

And besides, since discovering the joys of high-threadcount sheets, Spotlight is often a cheap place to get them while still getting very good quality. Many of the cheaper outlets have some severe quality issues.
 
The only piece of cast iron cookware that I still use is the cast heat/flame diffuser. Use it under pots of stews or sauces to stop hot spots that would over heat parts of the pot.
Use a thinner steel diffuser on glass coffee pots.
 
I did wind up getting a small 20cm skillet to try it out, and a few months on, I love the bloody thing. If memory serves, I used canola oil to season it as it was the best I had in the cupboard at the time. It went into the oven at high temp six times before I started using it, and I've had no problems at all. The surface has smoothed out nicely and it's got that sexy black sheen I was hoping for. It mostly gets used for frying, but I'm becoming a master at the grilled cheese. If anyone is interested in finding a cheap one to test out, mine was had on special from Ray's Outdoor for $15.

One feature that I've enjoyed is the ability to quickly sear something then plonk it straight into the oven. Great for some of the Mexican recipes I've been going through, and also great for making shakshuka for brekkie.
 
And if you don't mind the enamel coated ones, check your local Aldi store. We picked up a dutch oven and a skillet pan for around $10 each on sale. Looking forward to trying them out on our slow combustion wood heater that just happens to have a massive cooktop :)
 
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