Meet the Hardware: Cast Iron Skillet

Ahh, the cast iron skillet. Classic and completely misunderstood by many of my generation. "But Ryan," they ask me, "why would you use a cast iron skillet when you could just use the non-stick pan?" The one-word answer is browning. But that's not the whole story.
I'm a diehard lover of meat. I love chicken, beef, pork and lamb. They're all delicious. Sorry, creatures. As far as I'm concerned, the superior way to cook all varieties of meat is on a charcoal-fired grill, preferably over high heat to provide a perfect sear on the meat. Where I live, I can't have my own charcoal grill. To top it off, half the time, it rains. What's a meat-lover to do?

My favorite general purpose pan is a 12" Calphalon Non-Stick Pan. Yet this would not be the first thing to reach for when cooking meat. For one, aluminum doesn't hold on to heat nearly as effectively as cast iron. Worse still, preheating nonstick pans can not only ruin your nonstick pans, but can actually release harmful gasses from the coating if heated too much. That won't work.

Enter cast iron. Due to its thermal conductivity and high mass, it can absorb a huge amount of heat and redistribute it evenly. Have you been to a Mexican restaurant and ordered fajitas? They bring the food out on a cast-iron pan and it sizzles for a very long time because of how well cast iron holds on to heat. Due to this property, it's possible to cook a steak or a burger with a delicious crisp crust like you might get on the grill right on the stove. Furthermore, since it's made out of nothing more than iron, there's no coating to worry about, and you can sear food to your heart's content. And due to its seasoning, a cast iron pan can be very nonstick!

Of course, this doesn't come without a few little problems. Cast iron pans must be seasoned and cleaning them is a little unusual. Let's dive into seasoning.

Cast iron pans often come from the factory pre-seasoned, but it is a good idea to season it yourself to improve the season and get some practice in, since you'll need to re-season it occasionally. While I'd like to be an expert on seasoning cast iron, I am not. I will leave that to people like Sheryl Canter, whose post on Cast Iron seasoning has quickly become one of the most cited references on cast iron seasoning available. I encourage you to read the whole article on her site, but in overview:

• Use flaxseed oil.
• Preheat the pan to 450F in the oven (see her new post for this information)
• Rub the entire pan with oil.
• Wipe it all off with paper towels.
• "Bake" in oven upside down at 500F for an hour, then let rest for two hours in the oven.
• Repeat these steps at least six times.

It's a long process, but it ensures that your pan will have a finish for years to come. With that, you don't want to ruin it. You've probably heard "don't clean cast iron with soap!" While I wouldn't go out and scrub your cast iron pan with soap regularly (or put it in the dishwasher ever), lightly and occasionally soaping and washing a properly seasoned cast iron pan won't harm it. Here are the basics:

• Clean while it's still hot or warm. It'll be much easier to clean.
• Scrub with a sponge. Plastic scrapers do a good job with baked on bits.
• If you're having trouble getting some food residue out, pour in some kosher salt and oil, then use a paper towel to scrub out any baked on food.
• Dry the pan right after you wash it.
• Apply a thin coat of oil before putting the pan away.

Cast iron skillets aren't a magical solution for everything. They don't come with lids, cooking acids (tomatoes, vinegar, etc) in them is a bad idea because it will eat away at the iron, and at the end of the day they're harder to clean than a high quality nonstick pan. However, they certainly deserve a place in your cabinet!

References:

• "Perfect Popovers," Sheryl Canter
• "How to Clean a Cast Iron Pan," Emily Ho
• "Chemistry of Cast Iron Seasoning: A Science-Based How-To," Sheryl Canter
• "'Black Rust' and Cast Iron Seasoning," Sheryl Canter
• Cooking for Geeks, Jeff Potter
• Alton Brown's Gear for Your Kitchen, Alton Brown