By admin
Before I owned a cast-iron skillet, I never thought I’d use it as much as I do now. I thought it was just a pan. Sure, a fancy-looking pan that needed special care, but nothing more than a pan, right?
Wrong. My cast-iron skillet has completely revolutionized my cooking game. It’s the perfect tool for so many recipes, from seared meats to cornbread to French toast.
What makes it so special? Cast-iron skillets are naturally nonstick, can withstand super high temperatures, and are oven-safe.
Like a Dutch oven, you can use it on the stove AND in the oven. When properly seasoned, cast-iron pans are naturally nonstick (more on how to season your pan later). And, unlike coated nonstick pans, cast iron withstands super high temps and distributes heat evenly, so you always wind up with perfectly crispy meats and exceptionally charred veggies.
I like to use it to make things like pork or steak, because I can start them on the stove to get a good sear, then finish cooking in the oven. Basically, it’s the best, and if you don’t already own one, you should seriously consider getting one ASAP.
It’s honestly not even that much of a splurge. You can buy Lodge’s 10-inch cast-iron skillet (the brand many chefs swear by) for just $25.
They’re also not hard to clean and maintain, as long as you know the basics and have the right tools.
One other thing I highly recommend buying with your cast-iron skillet is this $15 cleaning tool called The Ringer. It feels like chain mail (like the stuff the knights of the round table wore) and it’s kind of fun to play with. But really you need it because it’ll make cleaning your pan a cinch: It gets rid of all the stuck-on bits and crumbs that might otherwise be hard to remove, without wrecking the seasoning.
That’s the other thing: Most cast-iron pans are sold seasoned, which just means they have a layer of oil baked in to make them nonstick. Maintaining that seasoning is simple. Just never EVER wash your pan with anything tough, like steel wool, because it WILL strip it off. Whether you can use a sponge and soap is hotly contested—some people think it’ll destroy that seasoning, some don’t. I personally don’t wash with a soap and sponge—I give it a rinse with warm water and a scrub with The Ringer—but if cooking with a pan that hasn’t been properly sudsed grosses you out, do what you gotta do. If you do accidentally strip the seasoning, or your pan ever gets rusty or seems beyond repair, you can totally reseason it yourself and get it back to its original working quality (find out how to do that here).
Now for the things you can cook in it. These are the recipes I love, plus some I can’t wait to try.
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Andrew Purcell; Carrie Purcell1 Feta and Vegetable Baked French Toast from SELF
Like I mentioned before, you can totally make baked dishes like this savory French toast casserole in your cast-iron skillet. Get the recipe here.
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Alexis Davidson Kornblum via lexiscleankitchen.com2 Thai Meatballs from Lexi’s Clean Kitchen
Even though Lexi’s Clean Kitchen calls for these meatballs to be baked on a sheet pan, I prefer to bake them in the cast-iron skillet, because I find that the seasoning gives both the meat and sauce a slightly more nuanced flavor. Get the recipe here.
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Michele Rosen via paleorunningmomma.com3 Sweet Potato Hash With Sausage and Eggs from Paleo Running Momma
I love to make breakfast hashes like this one in my skillet, because I can just throw all the ingredients into one pan, cook them for a bit, and dig in. Plus, serving something in a cast-iron skillet is, like, brunch 101. Get the recipe here.
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Andrew Purcell; Carrie Purcell4 Skillet Chicken Thighs With Peaches, Arugula, and Quinoa from SELF
When cooking meat in a cast-iron skillet, there’s a little secret you need to know: When it’s ready to flip, it’ll unstick from the pan itself. If you try to flip it and it’s still sticking, that just means it’s not ready. Get the recipe here.
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Alex Lau5 Skillet Cornbread With Chives from Bon Appétit
I haven’t made this recipe yet, but I can’t wait to. It’ll be great for summer parties or just whenever I feel like eating a huge skillet of cornbread (because we’ve all been there, right?). Get the recipe here.
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Chungah Rhee via damndelicious.com6 Bacon Mushroom Spinach Frittata from Damn Delicious
They’re also perfect for frittatas. Get the recipe here.
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Danae Halliday via reciperunner.com7 Skillet Chicken Fajitas from Recipe Runner
Now you can make fajitas and serve them just like the restaurants do—in a piping hot cast-iron skillet. Get the recipe here.
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Brian W Ferry8 Skillet Chicken Pot Pie With Butternut Squash from Bon Appétit
Nothing is cooler (or should I say hotter?) than pulling a skillet pot pie out of the oven. Get the recipe here.
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Andrew Purcell; Carrie Purcell9 Broccoli Cheddar Brown Rice Skillet from SELF
You don’t need a casserole pan to make this classic dish—your cast-iron skillet will do the trick just fine. Get the recipe here.
