Cast Iron cooking

[eclecticcottage]

I've been scoping out those Le Creuset pots. We picked up an enameled CI casserole at a garage salef or $10. A few chips on outer edges, but the inside is perfect. I figure I'll keep an eye out for similar deals on enamel pots. I have to remember it's a small kitchen here and I can't go collecting CI just because, lol. Only what we need!!

I wrote to Rome about the pie iron, and they sent out a replacement Jaffle iron :D I'm am very excited, DH said it arrived today. Gonna have to try it out soon. Should work on either stove. I wish the Lopi had an enamel top, I have to remember to put down aluminum foil for liquids that might escape.

 

[jharkin]

We have a lodge frying pan that we used to use more before we moved to the house with the smoothtop. One thing that I dont like about the lodge is the rough cast surface. My mom has antique CI pans that have smooth machine finished interior and they seem to get a lot slicker from seasoning.

We also have a martha stewart (le cruset knock off) enamel cast iron dutch oven pot. Its my wife's favorite for making soups. That and our one expensive All-Clad stainless saute are the two most used pans in our kitchen.

 

[Adios Pantalones]

We have a lodge frying pan that we used to use more before we moved to the house with the smoothtop. One thing that I dont like about the lodge is the rough cast surface. My mom has antique CI pans that have smooth machine finished interior and they seem to get a lot slicker from seasoning.

We also have a martha stewart (le cruset knock off) enamel cast iron dutch oven pot. Its my wife's favorite for making soups. That and our one expensive All-Clad stainless saute are the two most used pans in our kitchen.

Martha Stewart pans are surprisingly good for stainless- I haven't seen the knock off you're talking about. My cast iron pan is smooth from use- it's a lodge, and it started out rough. I wonder if your grandma's was the same and got better with age. You could just sand it, then re-season.

 

[eclecticcottage]

I think there was a time period (and I couldn't name it) where they were basically polishing CI. those years are the most collectible from my understanding, because they are the nicest to use. However I agree, our most used (almost daily) new CI pan has become pretty smooth, and it did start our rough. I'm sad to say it's a Red Stone, not Lodge, but I didn't know where to buy CI when we started. I wish it was a nice pie logo Wagner pan, but hey, it works!

 

[jharkin]

The Martha Stuart pot looks like this. Not actually a knock off of Le Cruset but a similar style.

(broken image removed)


The cast iron skillet my Mom has she found at a tag sale. I dont know the age but I recall it had/has a definite machined finish to the interior.

As others are we are trying to move to mostly laminated stainless and CI for cooking with just a couple non-stick pans for things like eggs.

 

[TMonter]

If we ever buy new stainless equipment it's going to be Mauviel 1830 copper/stainless. We're to the point we want to buy the cookware we use just once and then hang onto it long term.

When it comes to cookware, we've found that there really isn't a substitute for quality.

 

[BEConklin]

I look for the old Griswold or Wagner cast iron skillets whenever I'm at a tag sale or in an antique shop. I like them much better than the newer cast iron skillets because they were machined down smooth on the inside when they were made.

One of my favorite things to make in a cast iron skillet is buttermilk cornbread - but, in my opinion, the any benefit you'd get from cooking it in a CI skillet is lost if you don't preheat the skillet enough -If you grease the skillet well, preheat it until the fat smokes then pour the batter in before you bake it, the cornbread actually starts to fry a little and it makes a wonderful crispy brown bottom crust.

if you're interested here's the recipe I use and a picture of the finished product cooked up in my Griswold #8 skillet.


Set a rack in the upper half of your oven and preheat to 450°

whisk together in a bowl:
1 3/4 cups white or yellow cornmeal - (fresh and stone ground is best)
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt - (or 3/4 tsp salt if your buttermilk has salt in it already)

In a separate bowl whisk:
2 eggs until they're foamy then add
1 tbsp molasses (optional)
2 cups buttermilk and whisk until combined

Mix wet and dry ingredients and whisk together just until they're combined.

Grease a 9 inch cast iron skillet thoroughly with
1-2 tbsps butter or bacon grease (my wife and I prefer the way it comes out using butter) and put the skillet it in the 450° oven. Leave it there until the fat starts to smoke then pour all the batter in at once.

Bake at 450° for 20-25 minutes - a toothpick poked in the center will come out clean when it's done.

Cut it into wedges in the skillet and serve it hot out of the oven. Leftovers...if any, can be wrapped in foil and reheated - but it's best fresh out of the oven