TigerChef

Ever since I watched my grandmother cooking breakfast in a cast iron skillet, I’ve associated good, hearty food with cast iron cookware. However, when I got married and set up my own home and commercial kitchens, I was seduced by bright and shiny stainless steel, and used only stainless for many years. Recently, I bought a cast iron skillet and Dutch oven, and a new world has opened up. I’m now convinced that every kitchen should have at least one piece of cast iron cookware—both in a home kitchen and as standard restaurant equipment

Cast Iron Cookware Is the Original Non-stick Cookware

Cast iron cookware is the original non-stick cookware. When seasoned properly, cast iron cookware is naturally non-stick. In fact, if your food sticks to a cast iron skillet or Dutch oven, then it is not seasoned correctly. Seasoning is done by rubbing oil into the pan and then heating it. This seasoning process makes the pan non-stick and also keeps it from rusting. Much of the cast iron cookware you find in stores or sold as restaurant equipment is labeled as pre-seasoned. However, this is just a very light pre-seasoning that will keep the pan from rusting, but does not make the pan as non-stick as you will want. So, even if you buy a pre-seasoned pan, you will want to season it yourself.

Season the pan by rubbing it with a thin coat of oil. I recommend using quality flax or coconut oil. Use paper towels to rub the oil in until it looks like no oil is left on the pan. It should not be shiny with the oil, but rather should look dry. Then, lay the pan upside down on a sheet of aluminum foil in your oven. Heat the pan for about 30-40 minutes, at a temperature of at least 450 degrees Fahrenheit. Repeating this process (after the cast iron cookware returns to room temperature) several times makes the seasoning stronger.

When the cast iron skillet returns to room temperature, you are ready to cook. What a pleasure to cook in and to clean (if dishwashing can ever be considered a pleasure!). Thinking about my grandmother’s breakfast puts me in the mood for her Skillet Potatoes and Eggs—a perfectly delicious way for you and your customers to start the day.

Skillet Potatoes and Eggs

3 potatoes, peeled and shredded
1 TB butter
2 TB vegetable oil (I prefer olive oil)
1 diced onion
1 diced red bell pepper
1 minced clove garlic
4 large eggs
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Cover shredded potatoes with cold water. Drain after 5 minutes and pat dry with a towel.
3. Over medium heat, melt the butter and oil in a cast iron skillet. Add the peppers and onion and sauté until tender. Add the garlic and sauté another minute. Stir in the shredded potatoes and salt. Cook about 10 minutes until the potatoes are brown (stir often).
4. Remove the skillet from the heat and make 4 indentations. Break an egg into each. Sprinkle salt and pepper on top.
5. Bake in the oven for about 13 minutes or until the eggs are the texture you prefer.
6. Serve right away.

Note that the skillet goes from stovetop to oven—yet another great advantage of cast iron cooking!

Filed under: General • Product Reviews • History • Food Quality

Tags: cast iron cookware, cast iron skillet, dutch oven, restaurant equipment