cast iron cooking

[ysr612]

Originally Posted by Smithy

If we're comparing one form of iron to another (carbon content being the only real difference here) then I would think that the mass is the driving factor. The specific heat of CI/steel should be close enough, that given the same thickness and mass between flame and food, the desirable quality of even heating should be very similar.

I reserve the right to be completely wrong. Buy one and let us know.

if it is cast steel not forged steel it will act just like cast iron. If it is forged then it will not hold a season and may have the hot spots that someone else said.

edit: the chance of hot spots will depend on the quality of the forging.

[mud]

Originally Posted by ysr612

if it is cast steel not forged steel it will act just like cast iron. If it is forged then it will not hold a season and may have the hot spots that someone else said.

Not so much....

Traditional woks are typical hand formed carbon steel. They season up just great! The new "traditional" ones are forged and they do fine.

Cast ones are the best, but harder to find these days.

[ysr612]

Originally Posted by mud

Not so much....

Traditional woks are typical hand formed carbon steel. They season up just great! The new "traditional" ones are forged and they do fine.

Cast ones are the best, but harder to find these days.

I had always thought people used woks for the hot spot?? I guess I better find out how to use a wok I only did stir fry in them myself.

[MikeinEugene]

Originally Posted by H96669

^^^ Them steel pans.I must have cooked 100s if not 1000s of fluffy omelettes using them. That's where they are really good..Medium temperatures in the 400-450 range.Perfect on the wood stove. Blob of butter and then watch the temp...eggs in there, then the French twists. I'd teach ya but not here.

Used to have 4-5 of them pans in front of me in the morning, gotta be quick moving them around the commercial electric flat tops.I still have one at home.....very nicely seasonned and just the right shade of blue, as in gun blue.

Hum...quit that job in the middle of breakfast, tossed a few omelettes in the garbage can and walked off the cruise ship.

I still cook omelettes professionally....of sorts! A couple in the morning....enough!

This was you in later years then?

[mud]

Originally Posted by ysr612

I had always thought people used woks for the hot spot?? I guess I better find out how to use a wok I only did stir fry in them myself.

No, that part is pretty much right. They transfer heat so well they get a solid hot spot, it is even though. I was just talking about the seasoning part.....

[ysr612]

Originally Posted by mud

No, that part is pretty much right. They transfer heat so well they get a solid hot spot, it is even though. I was just talking about the seasoning part.....

thanks for clearing that up for me.

[The Cyclops]

Originally Posted by DustyPockets

I know we are talking about cast iron but just happened to be in Rural King (Farm supply store) and stumbled upon this.

I think the big advantage to these is they heat up faster and lighter for flipping. I debated between these the other day and went with CI. I bought a carbon steel shallow wok/deep salute pan that is sort of a hybrid and tried an egg in there and it did fine, nearly as good as the CI if not as good. The CI will hold heat better and seems to be harder to burn since its thicker

[H96669]

Originally Posted by MikeinEugene

This was you in later years then?

I may be a little too old to stretch like that.We were in port in Vancouver, just about all the galley staff followed me out.But I'd sure walk off this boat today, may get a little wet however. Another year or so.....no more cooking breakfasts and getting up at 04.00 AM.Then I can stay home and make pies in my cast iron pans....tourtieres, apple pies, maybe even raspberry pie....!

[RocketJohn]

Funny I just saw this thread...I just bought a 12" Skillet made by Lodge at Target for $20, to learn how to cook on cast iron. Thanks for all the tips. I have learned if I have some really stuck on food, boil some water while the skillet is hot and bam, the stuck on food floats to top of water...

My task right now is perfecting a Ribeye on this skillet... after a couple, I am happy with the results... plus I don't have to go outside in the winter, I can watch NFL, NCAA, NFL, F1, etc while I cook.

[beergut]

I wanted to toss my tip into the ring. Not being able to make a nice outdoor cooking fire at my home (I live in the city) I had to find plan B. -My beloved Weber kettle.

I pull the top grate out, make a 'ring of death' in it with the coals, set my pot down in and let it do its thing. I usually cut off my air supply to almost nothing on the bottom, and wide open on the top vent which keeps the temps around 275-300. -makes a mean chili

Sometimes I will cook with the skillet in the Weber by just setting the skillet on the top grate.

If I want a little smoke...toss a few cubes of wood in. -this will give the hint of that camp fire taste

BTW, I season my cast iron in my Weber as well. I can get my kettle up to 450 deg sustained for an hour or so on a nice hot day. Pour some good oil in the pan, wipe it real good (I wipe everything/all sides) toss some salt and pepper on it, hand wipe that around and then set in the Weber. For fuel I use a mix of regular kingsford and sometimes I will toss in a few chunks of wood.

[beergut]

Originally Posted by RocketJohn

My task right now is perfecting a Ribeye on this skillet... after a couple, I am happy with the results... plus I don't have to go outside in the winter, I can watch NFL, NCAA, NFL, F1, etc while I cook.

Rub on some good sea salt, both sides, let the steak almost warm up to room temp, toss some butter in a HOT skillet, toss the steak on it to sear it...pepper on both sides at the tail end ....man my mouth is watering.

[RocketJohn]

Originally Posted by beergut

Rub on some good sea salt, both sides, let the steak almost warm up to room temp, toss some butter in a HOT skillet, toss the steak on it to sear it...pepper on both sides at the tail end ....man my mouth is watering.

I will try that tonight!

[DustyPockets]

Anybody into bread? Simple recipe from the NYT. I have made it several times on a chilly Sunday. Best eaten warm that day.


http://www.nytimes.com/2006/11/08/di...mrex.html?_r=0

[Mambo Dave]

Originally Posted by DustyPockets

Anybody into bread? Simple recipe from the NYT. I have made it several times on a chilly Sunday. Best eaten warm that day.


http://www.nytimes.com/2006/11/08/di...mrex.html?_r=0

I make bread in my poor-man's CI dutch oven (basically two identical CI skillets with one turned upside-down on top of the other one). I've been having issues with getting as good of a rise as I used to get with it as of late, so I'll try that recipe you linked. Thanks!

[Daz-o-matic]

Anybody into bread? Simple recipe from the NYT. I have made it several times on a chilly Sunday. Best eaten warm that day.


http://www.nytimes.com/2006/11/08/di...mrex.html?_r=0

I bought a cast iron dutch oven specifically for that recipe. Since having it, we've used it for a multitude of other things. Speaking of bread, last night I baked a loaf of bread in a smaller cast iron pot 'cause for some reason we have only one normal bread pan and I made too much dough. Turned out awesome

We're accruing a ton of cast iron - my latest purchase was a wee 5 or 6 inch pan I found at the thrift store for $2.50. Didn't think I'd cook much with such a small pan, but I couldn't pass up cast iron for a couple bucks. Turns out we've found all kinds of uses for it.