cast iron skillet?

Question

i just bought a cast iron skillet,ive always wanted one,and i finally bought one.what foods are good to be cooked in a cast iron skillet?besides fried chicken.thanks

the skillet says already seasoned do i need to do it again?

Answer 1

As Wizzard said you need to season it and keep it seasoned.

Cast iron is porous. Before you use it, wash it thoroughly, rub the inside with cooking oil and put it in the oven at about 150 -200 for about an hour or so. Turn the heat off and let the pan cool off in the oven with the door closed.

Some people say that you never wash a cast iron pan, that it should just be wiped out. I would rather wash it, but then you need to season it again.

You can cook anything in it, but I wouldn't use it on a daily basis just to be on the safe side because of the minute amounts of iron you will absorb from it.

Answer 2

Unless you have a skillet you found at a yard sale or inherited, "seasoning" it probably won't do much. Old cast iron had a very much less "perfect" surface that that cast today, so the tiny cracks in it would readily suck up oils that you heated in it, which then formed a wonderful non-stick surface after cooling. You need never scrub such a pan, they will just wipe clean with a hot soapy cloth. If you HAVE an old pan that some idiot has scrubbed the seasoning off of, just smear the surface of the whole pan with olive oil, and bake the pan in a hot oven for 15-20 minutes. Allow it to cool, and repeat the process.

Answer 3

This may be a little more labor intensive of a recipe than you were considering, but the burgers come out fantastic. The recipe is from Alton Brown of the Food Network. He has you grind your own beef, which makes for extraordinary hamburgers which he calls:

"Burger of the Gods "
Recipe by Alton Brown, "Good Eats"

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Yield: 3 servings

8 ounces chuck, trimmed, cut into 1 1/2-inch cubes
8 ounces sirloin, trimmed, cut into 1 1/2-inch cubes
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

In separate batches, pulse the chuck and the sirloin in a food processor 10 times. Combine the chuck, sirloin, and kosher salt in a large bowl. Form the meat into 5-ounce patties.

Heat a cast iron skillet or griddle over medium-high heat for 2 to 3 minutes. Place the hamburger patties in the pan. For medium-rare burgers, cook the patties for 4 minutes on each side. For medium burgers, cook the patties for 5 minutes on each side. Flip the burgers only once during cooking.





Copyright © 2006 Television Food Network, G.P., All Rights Reserved

Answer 4

Any thing! Preheat that skillet, oil it, add cornbread batter, and bake. Nothing as good as that!
Bacon cooked very slowly in cast iron is the best.
Here's a special day clean out the pantry dinner:
1 cup dry pasta, any shape, any size or rice,
1 cup or so cut-up cooked meat
1 cup broth (if you used cooked beef, use beef broth, same for turkey or chicken.)
1 can mixed vegetables, or tomatoes, or beans
Bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat. Stir every once in a while. Cook about 20 to 25 minutes or until pasta is done.
Season to taste. Serves 2 to 3.

Answer 5

When I was growing up, my mom had cast iron skillets. She used them for everything. And I remember that when she washed them, she would add a tiny bit of dish soap to some water and then let that boil for a second. The food came right out. It was the easiest thing to clean after doing that. And she didn't let it air dry or dry it with a towel. She put it back on the hot stove and dried it that way. This way it doesn't rust??! So cook it up!! Anything you like!!

Answer 6

Some of the Best Cornbread I ever ate came out of my mom's Cast Iron Skillet.

Here is a site for some good Cast Iron Recipes.
http://www.busymomsrecipes.com/castironskillet.htm

Seasoning the Skillet is extemelly important...also it is important when you wash it dry it completely because they can rust.

Answer 7

cornbread is great in a cast iron skillet

also beans and stews and country fried steak and biscuits too!!

I wish I had a cast iron skillet...LOL! happy cooking!

Answer 8

Stay away from water boiling things and high acid foods like tomatoes as they will wreck the "seasoning" surface you have created in the pan and you will have to re-season the pan...
Other than that, you can pretty much fry anything you want...

Answer 9

I love cooking in cast irons.I have about 10 of them in all shapes and sizes.I cook just about everything in mine.They seem to cook better than other pots and pans.

Answer 10

Firm fish, Sausages, Chops, Vegetables.