Feb 24, 2007

Cast iron or carbon steel pans

A new tool

I saw this pan highlighted in the LA Times Food column today. It’s a new style of wok, made of carbon steel. The Volrath is gaining converts. It seems that the chief advantages are that it’s carbon steel so it will heat well and evenly, it’s flat-bottomed (requiring no ring) and it has a cool-to-the-touch handle. I noted that it needs simple seasoning and it reminded me that I wanted to share a tip with readers on seasoning cast-iron.

Sounds good. Anyone out there have any feedback?

Old reliable friend

When talking about gumbo I sang the praises of cast iron. Recently, we’ve heard a lot about toxicity of the non-stick stuff. Let me reiterate that simple old, cast iron is the cook’s best friend. It’s safe. It’s cheap. It heats very well and holds heat well. It’s safe for the stove top and the oven. Once seasoned, it needs minimal care and will rival any synthetic non-stick surface.

Every once in awhile, your trusted pan needs re-seasoning. Maybe a well-meaning guest ran it through the dishwasher. (If that happens to Calphalon, forget it.) Or, maybe you found an old rusty pan at a yard sale or in your Mom’s garage. One of the best things about cast iron is that it is nearly indestructible.

To re-season the pan you can find simple step by step instructions on the Lodge Manufacturing site. Lodge has been making cast iron cookware for over a hundred years. The only quibble with their instructions I might have is that some cooks have told me they prefer lard or vegetable shortening instead of spray oil or other lighter oils. Lighter oils might not do quite as well at penetrating the iron and creating the natural non-stick coating, the seasoning that's so beneficial.



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Comments

Sep 30, 2009 1:25 PM
Guest :
I can tell you that the best method of seasoning is with bacon and the drippings left after breakfast.
If you have an older pan that you have not used in years or found a great buy in a junk/antique shop, there might be rust that needs removal. I've used 00 and 000 gauge steel wool and baking soda to remove most everthing, but sometimes the best tool is fire; a propane grill gets upwards of 400 to 500 on high, and this will cook off almost anything. If you happen to have access to a sandblaster, glass bead media is excellent!
An hour or so on high will usually render the pan unprotected. After the pan cools, you might wish to scour with an abrasive. You'll see fine rust form after you rinse. Dry with a paper towel (it will stain a dish towel). Fire it up again and get it hot again.
Using a paper towel folded to stiffen it, and oven mitts to hold the pan, wipe the entire pan with bacon fat, inside and out, with a very thin layer of fat; wipe off any excess so it will not form a thick layer on the inside of the pan. You can usually work it out where the handle is accessible once you've placed it back on the fire. Just remember to wipe the bottom and top of the handle before you close the lid and let this first layer come up to temp.
Some recommend turning the pan upside down so that any excess will drip out and not pool, but I find that just being diligent to keep the layer as nothing more than changing the color of the iron works best. This is a multi-step process, so, like spray painting, many light coats work far better than a few thick layers.
The pan is hot enough to reapply another wiping of fat when it begins to smoke. Apply another thin layer. Repeat the heat/smoke/apply sequence until you see the iron change through the dark brown to black coating.
If you take the last fat application through until it smokes, and let the pan cool undisturbed, I think you'll find as I have that you have a beautiful carbon layer ready to give you a lifetime of service.
Just remember: you can't boil water in a seasoned pan as it will lift off the seasoning, and tomatoes go in after the meat has browned to prevent the acid from attacking the iron and altering the taste of your prepared food.
--half a century and still learning
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