The thrill of cast iron

I'm a freelance writer. I'm looking to connect with chefs and cookbook authors who are into cooking with cast iron. Any takers or suggestions?

-G

[Kimmie]

No suggestions, just a warm welcome gmoore!

[bouland]

I use an old, very-well seasoned cast iron skillet for steaks and chops. The pan is heated very hot, the meat seared, and the cooking is finished in the oven. I have a cast iron griddle I use for making the pancakes for Mu Shu Pork. Other than these, I don't use cast iron much. In France, I used to using cast iron for certain simmered dishes and terrines -- usually with ceramic-lined cast iron.

bouland

[foodnfoto]

Hi and welcome from another food media-type person. I love cooking in cast iron. I have a dutch oven that was my grandmother's, then my Mom's, now mine. The bottom is as black and glossy as Hades' throne and it cooks a mean pot roast, jambalaya or beef stew. I also have a couple other pieces that I enjoy cooking with-grill pan (yeah, I know, ho-hum, big deal), a 10" skillet (great for burgers and cornbread) and a corn-pone baker.
I've been looking around for a flat-top griddle-one that fits over two burners-for pancakes, english muffins and Welsh cakes, but just haven't found the right size yet. Most are too small for my gas range.
Any websites that you know of?

[m brown]

I have a 15 inch fry pan all around good for all uses ( from Bigtray.com), a 9 inch fry pan for everyday, an old dutch oven from my 88 year old neighbor ( it was her mothers)and I use cast iron corn stick molds at work.
You just can't kill a cast iron pan!
Garage sales are great places to find them, take home an re season because most people think they are ruined once rusted.

[Pastachef]

This would be a good time for you pros to tell us how to season these iron skillets, pots and pans.

[BillyG60]

I use a 18"x12" griddle piece of cast iron on our grill for blackened fish.
We made an upper holding shelf and placed it on one end of the grill(the cast iron)it stays hot all night and works pretty good .

Billy

[KyleW]

Here are the thoughts of Lodge Manufacturing on the subject of cast iron care.

[Kimmie]

Got cornbread molds [cactus shaped] from Lodge Manufacturing. Thanks for reminding me since they were never used...



[ July 13, 2001: Message edited by: Kimmie ]

[friedparsley]

I absolutely love my Cast-Iron Skillets. I cook my Fish in them. I salt and pepper both sides put some wondra flour on the top(just a dusting of it)and then place the fish in the cast iron skillet. I cook it in the pan until I see the flour is little brown then I put in the bottum of a 450 oven. I never flip the fish. This way the top is crispy and the rest is juicy. I use this exact same method for cooking chicken breast. Except I omit the Wondra. I really like to use 12-14oz airline chicken breasts. The only problem is you have to be pretty patient with the chicken. If you decide to flip it, it just won't be the same. As far as cooking meats, I say the grill is probably the worst method in the world to use. You can't go wrong with a dry-aged NY Strip cooked MR in a cast-iron skillet. Oh yeah, another great thing about the skillets is you don't need to give them to the dishwasher, you just wipe em out and your ready to go. A good time saver!

I love cast iron from Lodge Manufacturing. Cooking.com is having a sale on its cast iron grill, which I have...This is a great price for both the grill, stand, and cover. The grill alone usually sells for $90, and the stand also around $90. At the clearance link on cooking.com, it is marked down to $99 from the price of $189. I checked other sites, even the Lodge site, and the cheapest price for only both grill and stand is $169 from dmart stores.

Anyway, this is the link to cooking.com if anyone is interested in looking at it. And if anyone is interested in buying, use code C62870 or C99972 for free shipping for orders over $75.

cooking.com Lodge cast iron grill with stand and cover

I love cast iron for just about
everything. In fact most of my
skillets are cast iron. I
haven't been able to find a
reasonable dutch oven yet though
but I'm still looking.

One question, I've got a 6 or 8
inch griddle, would it be good
for crepes?