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Cast iron skillet


Becky Stratton-Cooper

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My favorite meals are roasted in a cast iron skillet. Now I have a cast iron lid that I put on mine that helps keep food from drying out and I'm not sure you can make these meals with the skillet open. I brown the meat and then roast the meat and vegetables in a 400 degree oven for 30 minutes. This link will take you to a bunch of the recipes: http://www.wholelifeeating.com/?s=skillet+roasted

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I use my cast iron for pork tenderloin -- rub the outside all over with garam masala and salt, brown all the sides on top of the stove, then pop the whole thing in the oven until the pork is cooked. I also like to use it sautee up a huge pile of onions, peppers and mushrooms and add in some protein (sliced sausage, steak or chicken) and seasoning (cumin, oregano, chili powder, coriander). Or for Country Captain chicken - yummy! http://www.health-bent.com/proteins/country-captain

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If its preseasoned you won't have to do anything to it, but if it's not, you need to rub it down with oil and stick it in a 300 oven for a couple of hours and then rub it down again after. Once it's cooled, it's ready to use. It takes a little bit of time to get used to the cast iron rather than other types of pans, but I use my cast iron exclusively.

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  • 3 weeks later...

I'll cook just about anything in a cast-iron skillet. In fact, if I had to choose one pan that'd be the one. If it's seasoned enough you can cook omelets in it and bring it to the table to serve - keeps it nice and hot. I'll also use it to roast a smallish chicken. It's perfect for steaks, esp. rib-eye (30 seconds on a burner on high and then 2 minutes per side in the oven at 500 F, rest) - The only thing I don't cook in it are acidic things like tomatoes - those tend to deplete the seasoning.

Washing - don't use soap (again, the seasoning) and dry with a towel (to avoid rust).

To refresh the seasoning, I rub a nickel-sized drop of coconut oil into it after every use or two.

Enjoy.

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I love my cast irons. I have a pretty good collection of different sizes. One of my favorites is the dutch oven and that lid also fits one of my skillets. I cook everything in my pans too, except acidic foods like the tomatoes mentioned. I have to cook everything in them cause I got rid of all my other skillets except for one nonstick omelette pan. They are perfect for pan frying steaks in.

cleaning and re-seasoning instructions from lodge, in case you are a reader and like specific details like me. http://www.lodgemfg....d-cast-iron.asp

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  • 3 weeks later...
  • 2 weeks later...

I've always been pretty awful when it came to cooking steak. I cooked a steak in my cast iron skillet for the first time the other day - amazing! I'm never going back.

I think mine came with instructions that I just stuck to the inside of my cabinet door so I wouldn't forget. Wash while it's still warm (don't let it sit too long) with hot water, no soap. If I really need to scrub caked on food I'll throw a lot of salt in the skillet and scrub with a bit of water. It'll help season the pan too.

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I've always been pretty awful when it came to cooking steak. I cooked a steak in my cast iron skillet for the first time the other day - amazing! I'm never going back.

I think mine came with instructions that I just stuck to the inside of my cabinet door so I wouldn't forget. Wash while it's still warm (don't let it sit too long) with hot water, no soap. If I really need to scrub caked on food I'll throw a lot of salt in the skillet and scrub with a bit of water. It'll help season the pan too.

I totally love that you stuck the instructions on your cabinet door. Genius. :)

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Traditionally, my Mom used lard to season hers. I used vegetable oil until I started the Whole30. Guess I will use coconut oil too seeing as I don't have any of the other fats. Thanks. :)

Or ghee..mine is so well seasoned at this point that it doesn't want me to swab it with anything, but if I did, I'd use coconut oil, macadamia nut oil, avocado oil or ghee (home made of course because I am obsessed).

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I totally love that you stuck the instructions on your cabinet door. Genius. :)

My hubby is always taping things to the outside of our cabinet doors as reminders. Puts Christmas Cards there too.

I have the instructions from The Fresh Market (from five years ago) taped inside my cabinet for making a perfect Prime Rib. Use it every Christmas! Plus sports schedules and class phone lists, dr and dentist appt cards, etc. I have two really long cabinet doors maybe 5 ft tall that are practically wallpapered, on the inside of the cabinet door...

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I have a huge collection of cast iron--bread pans, dutch ovens, frying pans, pizza pan, skillets galore, baking dishes. Now to find a cast iron tea kettle. I go camping a LOT so cast iron is perfect for that. I just keep a dutch oven (the kind that has a lip on the lid for holding coals) and a skillet stashed in my car. For seasoning, I rub them down with extra virgin olive oil. To season them when I first get them I always cook something greasy like sausage in them. The cast iron imparts an excellent taste to the food and for some reason always makes the food taste better. Or at least, I can always tell when someone uses cast iron because there's so much flavour to the food.

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