A cast-iron skillet is surely one of the most versatile tools in your Plano kitchen. But, if you’ve not used a cast iron pan or are merely starting off, you may have questions about how to cook with and care for your pan. Whereas there are various matters you undoubtedly should ascertain before you cook with cast iron your first time, if you simply follow these various hassle-free guides, you will easily find yourself reaching for this pan each time you are ready to whip up your next culinary masterpiece.
The first thing to know about cast iron is that there is a wide choice of skillet types and sizes. It’s essential to choose the right size cast iron pan for the dish you want to make. Most professional chefs recommend a 10-inch skillet for everyday use. But actually, the majority of cast iron pans can weigh up to 25 pounds! If you are not cooking large quantities constantly, surely, the 10-inch pan should be a great option.
Before you use your cast iron pan for the first time, most manufacturers recommend that you “season” it first. Cast iron performs better when it has a hard, nonstick surface, which you can create using some oil and your oven. So as to season a cast iron pan, all you ought to do is rub a light coat of vegetable oil over both the inside and outside of your pan. Afterward, place the pan upside-down in a 500-degree oven for roughly an hour. The coolest part of cast iron cooking is that this seasoning process occurs naturally every time you make chicken or steak in it. The fat from the meat adds a new coating to the pan’s surface, which will induce your pan to perform even better.
Sometime after preparing your cast iron, you can start cooking. But remember as you plan each dish, take into account that there are some foods you shouldn’t make in a cast iron pan. Scrambled eggs don’t work best in a cast iron pan because they tend to bond with the iron, creating a clean-up nightmare. Tomato sauce is another particular item to avoid given that the acidity in the tomatoes will result in a metallic flavor in your food. The last point, it’s not recommended to cook salmon or other oily fish in a cast iron pan. The oils will bond with the pan’s surface and make everything you cook in the pan after that taste fishy. One well-liked dish to do in a cast iron pan is cinnamon rolls. But definitely, if you tried to make the rolls in a pan after cooking fish in it, the rolls will taste like salmon. Most people don’t wish to have salmon-flavored bread.
To see to it that your first attempt at cast iron cooking goes well, it’s really necessary to remember a few more tips. Initially, always remember to pre-heat the pan before you start cooking. One big mistake that beginners make is to forget to heat the pan before putting the food in it, in many cases inducing, at best, longer cooking times, and at worst, burnt or inedible food. Assuming you do burn something in a cast iron pan, do not try to soak the pan in water to remove it. But rather, try employing a salt scrub to clean your cast iron pan. Quite a lot of cooks even use salt and half a potato to scrub the inside of their cast iron pan clean. Then they will wipe it with a little dish soap and water. Making use of plenty of soap or soaking the pan in water will damage the pan’s coating, so refrain from these cleaning methods.
And that is it! Because of bearing in mind and following this simple trouble-free advice, you will quickly be a cast iron cooking pro. Would you like to learn more about how to care for and maintain other items in your house properly? Call us at 469-820-0088 or contact us online today!
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