If you don’t own a cast iron skillet, run to the nearest kitchen goods store and buy one. If you’ve got one languishing at the bottom of your pots-and-pans cupboard, dig it out. This kitchen workhorse should be one of the first things you reach for when you’re ready to cook.
The benefits of using a cast iron skillet are many. Here are just a few:
Cast iron heats up quickly and the heat is evenly distributed, so your food is evenly cooked. Since it retains heat so well, your food will brown more easily than in a regular pan.
When properly seasoned, a cast iron skillet has a nonstick surface, perfect for fat-free or low-fat cooking.
The skillet gets better with age and use, and should last a lifetime.
You can use the skillet on the stove and in the oven. A great trick for chicken, steak or pork is to brown it quickly in the skillet on the stovetop and then pop it in the oven right in the skillet to finish cooking. This makes a juicy, restaurant-quality piece of meat.
A cast iron skillet does take some special, but simple, care. To clean the pan, use mild soap and water. Avoid scouring pads, especially the metal kind. Dry completely to avoid rust, then rub in a few drops of regular vegetable oil (no olive oil or other exotic oils.) It works even better to heat up the clean pan on the stovetop and then rub in the oil while it’s hot (but not hot enough to burn you!) It’s very important to completely dry the pan and to store it in an area that is not humid to avoid rust spots.
When you first get your skillet, it might have a coating on it that needs to be scrubbed off. Follow the manufacturer’s instructions to do this. Now it’s time to season the pan.
Wash the pan, dry it thoroughly and coat it with oil. Some people recommend using lard for this initial seasoning, but I have seasoned mine with liquid vegetable oil and it worked just fine. Place the pan in an oven heated to 300 degrees. Let it cook for 15 minutes. Using hot pads, take it out of the oven and remove and excess grease. Put it back in the oven for about two hours.
Now your pan is ready to use. If you haven’t used a cast iron skillet before, try out your favorite pancake recipe with it and taste the difference!