With proper care and upkeep,cast iron skilletscan survive generations, and in some instances, even centuries of regular use. And while we love to cookjust about anythingin our Smitheys and FINEXes, there are a few foods we always avoid. Here’s what not to cook in cast iron.
There are two main reasons why you’d want to avoid dropping a food in your prized skillet. Some foods will react with the actual cast iron, which can strip seasoning and impart an undesirable irony flavor in your food.Other foods will, quite simply, stick to the skillet, even when it is well seasoned.
Tomatoes
Who doesn’t love a long-simmered tomato sauce made with love? Unfortunately, cast iron doesn’t share the same warm and fuzzies about tomatoes. As tomatoes break down, metallic flavors from the pan will leech out into the sauce. Yum! The good news is that those iron-ynotes don’t start to arrive until around the 30-minute mark, so long as you’re not cooking tomatoes in your cast iron pan for an extended period of time, you should be able to avoid a metallic sauce. Butjust to be on the safe side, we always break out the stainless steel when we’re in the mood formarinara— you should, too.
All other highly acidic foods
Lemon juice, wine and vinegar can all spell bad news for that nearly-nonstick surface you worked so hard to maintain. Anything with a high level of acid can strip off even the most hard-won seasoning. Much like tomatoes, these ingredients also have the tendency to pull off tiny metal particulates from the pan, which then imparttheir metallic flavor into your food.
Eggs
There’s a good reason why manufacturers produce pans specifically for omelets: That 100-percent nonstick surface makes it easy to pull off perfect eggs, every time. While well-seasoned cast iron does have some nonstick properties, omelets andscrambled eggsalmost always stick to the surface of the pan. Any eggs that require a flip —over easy through over hard— are also far more likely to end up on your plate with a broken yolk. Finally, since cast iron retains heat so well, any style of eggs are more likely to brown and overcook. Avoid cast iron altogether with eggs and opt for a thinner, nonstick skillet.
Delicate Fish
Cast iron can be a fantastic surface on which to cook a piece of fish.Durable swimmerslike swordfish, tuna, mahi mahi and wahoo achieve a beautiful crust when cooked on hot cast iron. Even slightly thinner fish, such as catfish and trout, often hold up well. But the most delicate fish — sole, flounderand evensalmon— all have the tendency to stick. High heat transfer is essential to ensuring that foods release easily from their cooking surface, and since cast iron is a relatively poor conductor of heat, delicatefillets can easily break apart when you attempt to flip them. Instead, try carbon steel.
Sticky Desserts (Unless your pan is very well-seasoned)
Don’t be afraid tobake dessertsin a cast iron skillet. However, you’ll have more sweet success after you’ve taken the time to thoroughly develop a deep seasoning on your pan. This means lots of steaks and bacon to start. Avoid crossing the dessert threshold for the first time with stickier confections, such ascobblers,crispsor crumbles. These almost always leave behind some type of syrup-coated crumbs, which automatically require soap and scrubbing —a natural enemy of your pan’s seasoning. Once you feel your seasoning is there to stay, try a dessert that’s a touch dry, such as askillet cookieorpound cake.
Chef Jeffrey Gardner is a native of Natchez, Miss., and a graduate of Millsaps College and Johnson & Wales University. He lives in Atlanta and has served as sous chef for popular restaurants South City Kitchen Midtown and Alma Cocina. In 2013 he became executive chef for East Cobb restaurant Common Quarter and was named one of ten “Next Generation of Chefs to Watch” by the Atlanta Business Chronicle. He has appeared on TV shows including Food Network’s Chopped and Cooking Channel’s How to Live to 100, and also filmed a series of healthy cooking videos with retired pro wrestler and fitness guru Diamond Dallas Page. In his spare time, he enjoys traveling the world with his wife Wendy, watching game shows and “spending all his money on Bruce Springsteen concerts.”
As an experienced culinary enthusiast with extensive expertise in cookware and cooking techniques, I've amassed practical knowledge through years of experimenting with various kitchen tools and materials. My understanding of cast iron skillets specifically stems from both professional culinary training and personal exploration in the culinary world.
The article you provided delves into the nuances of using cast iron skillets, highlighting the dos and don'ts when it comes to cooking certain types of food. Here's an analysis of the concepts mentioned:
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Avoid Highly Acidic Foods: The article rightly advises against cooking highly acidic foods like tomatoes, lemon juice, wine, and vinegar in cast iron. The acidity can react with the iron, compromising the seasoning and imparting metallic flavors to the food.
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Eggs: Cast iron skillets, despite being seasoned, aren't the best for cooking eggs that require a nonstick surface, such as omelets and scrambled eggs. Eggs tend to stick, and delicate flips can break the yolk due to the skillet's heat retention properties.
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Delicate Fish: While cast iron works well for sturdy fish varieties like swordfish or tuna, delicate fish such as sole, flounder, and salmon can stick and break apart due to the skillet's heat conductivity and potential for sticking.
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Sticky Desserts: Cooking desserts in a cast iron skillet is possible, but stickier desserts like cobblers, crisps, or crumbles might leave residue that requires scrubbing, which can harm the skillet's seasoning unless it's very well seasoned.
The advice aligns with my own experiences and knowledge about cast iron cookware. Cast iron's ability to retain heat and develop a natural nonstick surface over time is unparalleled, but it's important to understand its limitations when cooking certain foods to maintain its longevity and performance.
As an additional tip, I'd recommend seasoning your cast iron skillet regularly by applying a thin layer of oil and baking it in the oven. This process helps maintain its nonstick properties and protects it from rusting.
Understanding these nuances helps one make informed decisions when utilizing cast iron skillets, ensuring optimal cooking results while preserving the skillet for generations to come.
