"Cast-Iron Skillet" is a needed mainstay in your kitchen. Really it wouldn't hurt to have several cast-iron pieces at your disposal. If you haven't every seem one, please go to a store selling kitchen equipment and check them out. They are heavy but very versatile.
You can cook with them on top of the stove, in the oven or use outdoors. They are the best piece of equipment to cook "Fried Chicken" in hands down. There are great for making bacon and eggs in the morning to using for that "Swiss Steak" recipe I posted last week. They work well for starting a dish on the stovetop and finishing it in the oven.
Once seasoned, a cast-iron piece of cookware is basically non-stick. Many people are afraid of them because they think a lot of care is required to maintain them. That is really not true.
Now the best ones to buy are used pieces. These are already seasoned unless they had a terrible owner who abused them. But new ones are easy to season too. All you need to do is rub the surface all over with vegetable oil. Then place it in a pre-heated 200 degree oven for 3 or 4 hours. Be sure to put a sheet pan on the shelf under it to catch any oil dripping off. When it is cool enough to handle, wipe it off with paper towels and store it away from moisture. If you have a gas oven with a pilot light, you can't find a better place to store them.
Once you have used your cast-iron piece, it will need to be cleaned. Be sparingly with the soap and don't use harsh abrasives on them. If you do need to, then re-season it by the method above again. Usually, water and washcloth will wipe them clean. Be sure to dry it completely and quickly and they will rust. The best way to dry them is place it on a stovetop burner on low and let it up and dry. This will take a few minutes to do. Once it has cooled down, put in a dry place.
Well "Happy Cooking" until next week and please spread the link to anyone you know. Thanks.
No comments:
Post a Comment