The cast iron skillet is at once the most beloved and most feared kitchen tool. Chefs and home cooks alike revere it for its versatility, durability, and ability to distribute and retain heat evenly. It’s the ideal deliverer of pancakes, fryer of eggs, caramelizer of onions, and searer of meats. Fluffy cinnamon buns can bake in it, and juicy chicken can roast in it. The cast iron is all-powerful, but as Spider-Man fans know, “with great power comes great responsibility.” And the responsibility of caring for a cast iron is where the fear usually comes in.
Cast iron pans are shrouded in mystery. How do you buy them? Clean them? Season them? The term “seasoning” gets thrown around a lot, but what does it even mean? Basically, it’s a science-based method that protects the material, creates a naturally nonstick surface, and flavors the pan over time by bonding oil to the iron. Whether you purchased your skillet pre-seasoned or not, it’s wise to perform an initial seasoning before the first use and then subsequent re-seasoning every time it appears dry to you. The thing to remember is that if you treat a cast iron pan right, it'll last a lifetime (or two, or three). Here’s exactly what you need to do to keep it in tip-top shape for your numerous kitchen tasks.
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