Cast iron cookware
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Cast iron cookware is, as its name states, cookware made out of cast iron. Cast iron is non-toxic, has excellent heat retention and diffusion properties, and is easy to mold into a variety of shapes. These properties make cast iron a natural choice for cookware.
Because cast iron will react with or stain many foods, bare cast iron cookware must be seasoned. Cast iron cookware is also available with an enamel coating - this cookware doesn't need to be seasoned, but loses some of the other desirable properties of bare cast iron.
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[edit] Bare Cast Iron
Bare cast-iron vessels have been used for cooking for hundreds of years. (John Ragsdale, The Dutch Oven Chronicled 1-4 (1991)) Cast iron's ability to withstand and maintain very high temperatures makes it a natural cookware choice for searing or frying, and its excellent heat diffusion and retention makes it a natural choice for long-cooking stews like gumbo or Chili con carne. Because cast iron skillets can develop an extremely "non-stick" surface, they are also a good choice for egg dishes, in particular scrambled eggs. Some other classic uses of cast iron pans are in cornbread and pineapple upside-down cake.
Some of the types of cookware made out of bare cast iron include dutch ovens, frying pans, deep fryers, woks, potjies, and griddles.
Bare cast iron cookware requires seasoning—impregnation of the cooking surface with oil—to prevent rusting, and to create a non-stick surface. New cast iron must be seasoned before use. Some companies now offer pre-seasoned pans, but, like "home-seasoned" cast iron, these may need to be re-seasoned if they are washed with strong soap or allowed to rust.
[edit] Seasoning
Seasoning is a process by which a layer of animal fat or vegetable oil is applied and cooked onto cast iron or carbon steel cookware. The seasoning layer protects the cookware from rusting, provides a non-stick surface for cooking, and prevents food from interacting with the iron of the pan. Almost all cast iron cookware is seasoned. Well-seasoned cast iron cookware will have a very smooth black surface.
Fats and oils typically used for seasoning include lard, hydrogenated cooking oils such as Crisco, and palm or coconut oil (in general, oils that are high in saturated fats, and therefore typically solid at room temperature).
Oils that are polyunsaturated (and therefore typically liquid at room temperature) will get rancid much more quickly, and are usually not recommended. Liquid oils may become gummy over time, and extremely difficult to remove. Food cooked on gummy oil may also have an unpleasant taste.
[edit] Cleaning before seasoning
If it is not pre-seasoned, new cast iron is often shipped with a coating to prevent rust. This coating is typically food-grade wax or mineral oil. The coating must be removed before the pan is seasoned or used. To remove the protective coating, cast iron can be thoroughly scrubbed using light dish soap and steel wool pads. If the surface is "natural" (unpolished), it may also be useful to use a wire brush. Some cooks will also rub the surface of the pan with kosher salt to smooth it.
[edit] Seasoning techniques
Once cleaned, cookware can then be seasoned. There are several techniques for seasoning cast iron - these vary based on the smoke point of the oil or fat used.
[edit] Technique 1
- Simply wipe the cleaned cast iron with a good oil or fat and use it for frying and roasting, particularly high fat foods, like bacon. The oil or fat will impregnate the cast iron and gradually convert into a seasoning over time. Rendering animal fat in a new pan will have the same effect.
[edit] Technique 2
- First, heat the cookware until water quickly boils when splashed onto its surface.
- Next, using a rag, wipe a thin coat of lard or oil onto the surface of the cookware.
- Finally, place the cookware upside-down in a moderately hot oven for 1-2 hours. It is a good idea to place a layer of aluminum foil under the cookware to catch drips of excess oil.
- Let the pan cool in the oven. At this point, the cookware should have a black sheen and be ready for cooking.
A new cast iron pan will not be 100% seasoned after a single treatment. It takes repeated use for the pan to develop a seasoned, non-stick surface.
If too much oil or shortening is applied to a pan in the seasoning process, it will pool and gum up when the pan is heated. In this case, the goo can be scraped off and some more grease rubbed over the spot, or the pan can be re-scrubbed and reseasoned. Heating the pan upside-down may help prevent gumming, but will be more likely to drip grease into your oven unless protected by a foil-lined baking sheet. Seasoning at higher temperatures approaching the smoking point of the oil used will result in darker seasoned coatings in less time that aren't sticky or gummy.
[edit] Care and cleaning after seasoning
Frying in a cast iron pan will help maintain the seasoning, as will roasting fatty meats or other greasy foods. Prolonged contact with wet or acidic foods, such as tomatoes, can dissolve or damage the finish.
It is a common misconception that one should never use dish soap to clean seasoned cast iron cookware, since this will immediately remove the oil, and 'unseason' the pan (or even, according to some cooks, leave soap residue that will poison the food). In fact, a very well-seasoned pan can tolerate dilute dish soap, and, for infrequently used pans, this may be preferable to leaving rancid grease on the cooking surface [1]. In general, however, regular washing with soap is not recommended. When cast iron cookware is washed with soap it should be lightly oiled before it is used or stored away.
There are several methods for cleaning seasoned bare cast iron cookware:
- Scrub the inside of a warmed pan with a tablespoon of a coarse salt, such as kosher salt, add a small amount of olive oil, and rub with a small piece of an old cotton cloth. Rinse with cold water.
- Scrub the pan with boiling or near-boiling water and a stiff nylon or fiber brush.
- Use veggie wash (milder than soap) and a stiff nylon or fiber brush.
- Boil a solution of cornstarch or rice starch and water in the pan, tilting the pan to make sure the boiling liquid touches all the way up the sides. Then pour out the resulting grease-water-starch solution, and peel off whatever dries onto the sides of the pan. Rinse the pan in hot water.
In all cases, the cookware should be dried thoroughly after washing, and oiled lightly if not already very well seasoned.
For deep cleaning (before re-seasoning), some cast iron collectors also advocate removing baked-on grease by soaking cast iron in a lye solution, or heating the pan in a self-cleaning oven or campfire. Both of these methods have inherent drawbacks, however. Lye can cause serious injury (including blindness) if handled improperly, and unevenly heating a cast iron pan may warp or crack the pan. A safer solution is to place the iron cookware into a large pot of boiling water, adding a cup or two of baking soda, and boil for ten minutes. To remove rust, some collectors advocate soaking the pan in a 1:1 solution of vinegar and water, soaking the pan in Coca Cola, or even sandblasting or wire-stripping the pan.
[edit] Brands
Some well-established brands of cast iron cookware are:
- Griswold Founded in 1865, the original Griswold company is now out of business. Original Griswold items command high prices on ebay and from antique dealers.
- Wagner. Founded in 1881, Wagner acquired Griswold, became a division of General Housewares Corporation (now World Kitchen), and was then bought [2] by the American Culinary Corporation. Wagner and Griswold cookware is now produced collectively as products of the latter company, which re-established American production in 2003. The company expects to begin commercial production again in 2007.
- Lodge. Founded in 1896. Lodge cast iron is produced entirely in the United States, except for their enamel coated products which are made in China. The "Lodge Logic" line of Lodge cookware is pre-seasoned at the Lodge factory.
- John Wright. Founded in 1880. John Wright specializes in specialty muffin and cookie pans, as well as serveware and decorative cast iron. Some of their items are produced in the US, and some is produced elsewhere. John Wright's bakeware looks like bare cast iron, but is actually coated with Xylan, a non-stick coating.
There are also several newer brands of cast iron available that are made in China, including Old Mountain and CW Gear.
[edit] Enameled Cast Iron
Enameled cast iron is cast iron that has had a vitreous enamel glaze applied to it. This type of cast iron was a popular material for cookware in the late 19th and early to mid-20th centuries, but it has since been largely replaced by more modern metal alloys. It still remains a popular material for making Dutch ovens.
The enamel coating over the cast iron prevents rusting, eliminates the need to season the metal, and allows for more thorough cleaning. Furthermore, pigments used in the enameling process can produce vibrant colors. While enamel coated cast iron doesn't have the seasoning and cleaning issues of bare cast iron, it can be several times more costly.
[edit] Care and Cleaning
Enamel coated cast iron can usually be washed like other cookware - with dish soap, or in the dishwasher. Because the enamel is prone to chipping, no hard surfaces (like a dishwasher prong) should be allowed to contact the enamel during the washing process. Some coated cast iron pots have spots of bare iron on their rims or wooden handles - these should be washed by hand and dried immediately. Many manufacturers recommend Bon Ami or Bar Keeper's Friend for handwashing enameled cast iron (however this kind of powdered cleanser should never be used on bare/seasoned cast iron).
Unlike bare cast iron, enamel coated cast iron typically can't be heated to a high heat, and therefore can't be used for seared or blackened dishes.
[edit] Brands
Manufacturers still making enameled cast iron cookware include:
- Le Creuset ([3]). Made in France - legendary status among cooks, relatively expensive but last more than a lifetime.
- Lodge. Made in the USA. Lodge is best known for their bare cast iron and "Lodge Logic" pre-seasoned lines, but also has a line of enameled Dutch ovens and bakers. Lodge enameled Dutch ovens are enameled in China.
- Staub. Made in France. Also makes cookware for institutional use.
- John Wright. Includes bakeware and serveware, as well as tea kettles and decorative pieces.
- Daniel Boulud Kitchen. Made by Sabatier.
- Mario Batali. Made by Copco.
