Cast Iron Pans

Back when I moved into my first college apartment in the 60's, my parents gave me half of the accumulation of old family stuff that had been piling up in the basement for a number of years. Included in this "gifting" process were a few well seasoned cast iron pans that had belonged to my grandmother back when she married grandpa in 1894. She had received them from her mother and I don't know where she got them, but, needless to say, they had been around for a long time.

I knew two things about cast iron pans. The first was that my Mom used her cast iron pans to make some of the greatest meals around. As my grandparents came to the United States from Canada back during World War I, my Mom carried on with the recipes and traditions handed down to her. While Canadians do not enjoy the greatest international reputation for their cuisine as do the to the French, Italians and others, one thing that was good, I mean GREAT, was a Mom's pot roast prepared in a cast iron pan.

After thinking about those pot roasts, the second thing isn't very important, so we'll just move on.

While living in an apartment at Michigan State University back in the 60's, I quickly tired of living on Big Mac's and hot dogs. One day, in desperation, I rummaged through the closet for the box that contained Grandma's big cast iron pan with the cover on it.   I quickly called Mom for emergency instructions on how to put together a pot roast dinner like she had made on so many Sunday afternoons. It was a Dutch oven, she told me, and without going into all the details (see Grandma's Pot Roast in Menu section), she imparted her wisdom upon me.

That night, when my roommates showed up for what they thought would be the usual pile of hamburger helper or tuna casserole, they were met with the wafting aroma of a beef roast with carrots, potatoes, onions and gravy. You could have been blinded by the glare from their bulging eyeballs. The apartment was soon filled with an echoing low moan that comes from a bunch of guys who have been deprived of home cooking for too long. We even had visits from neighboring apartment cave dwellers who only were seen on party nights, all of them begging for handouts.

The flavor of that roast was unlike any other.   The beef, from the cheapest cuts I could find in the meat counter (I was a student, remember?) was as tender as the finest steak in a New York restaurant. The flavor was that mouth-watering taste that you crave when you think of a home cooked meal. The onions, browned before the meat went into the pan, were caramelized, tender and juicy. The potatoes and carrots, laying on top of and all around the roast, had their own great tastes mixed with the underlying flavor of the beef. And on top of it all, I used the juices from all of this slow cooked goodness to make a fabulous dark brown gravy to drizzle over the whole thing.

The whole scene was like a Norman Rockwell painting. One of the roommates shed tears. The other one just mumbled "Mama, mama, mama....."

Needless to say, the meal was a hit and there were no leftovers. And the credit goes right to Grandma and her cast iron Dutch oven.   I have been using it ever since.

So, what is the big deal about cast iron?

People have been cooking with cast iron pans for hundreds of years. Back in the day, these pans were held to be royal treasures by kings and emperors, not to be trusted in the hands of mere commoners. In more recent times, cast iron pans were valuable possessions for pioneer families heading west, because they would last forever and be nearly indestructible.

Today, cast iron pans are still found in kitchens in both homes and the finest restaurants. Chef's from around the world find that they spread the cooking heat evenly and provide a consistent cooking temperature throughout the pan's bottom, sides and, in the case of a good Dutch oven, the top, too. They can be used on top of the stove, in the oven or broiler and, as every good camper knows, they are great for cooking on, in and under campfires. More on that in another article.

And you have to "season" it before you use it? What's that all about?

Some cast iron cookware is "pre-seasoned" at the factory. If that is the case with your new pan, just wash it off and start cooking. But for the rest the products, you've got a little job to do before you begin using them.

Normally, when a new cast iron pan comes out of the box, it should be "seasoned" before its first use. This will assure the foundation of one of the secrets of a good ol' cast iron pan -- its natural non-stick finish. To do this, wash the pan well with a detergent and brush in the kitchen sink to remove any last vestiges of oils or other substances used in the manufacturing process. Then place a small amount of cooking oil, shortening or cooking spray in the bottom of the pan, no more than a tablespoon for a large pan, and slowly wipe the oil in a circular pattern around the bottom and then the sides of the pan. If the pan has a top or lid, like a Dutch Oven, give that a good going over, too. Be sure to coat the outside of the pan, as well, because this treatment keeps the pan from rusting.

Then place the pan (and lid) in a oven at about 350° for an hour or so. Have the pan upside down so that any excess oil will drip onto a piece of aluminum foil that you have placed on the rack under the pan. At the end of the hour, turn the oven off and leave the pan in the oven until everything cools down. This lets the oil seep into the surface of the pan. The finish of the pan will turn slightly brown. If you care to do so at this time, you can repeat the process to put a deeper seasoned finish on the pan.

Now you are ready to create culinary marvels that will astound your family, amaze your friends and shock the socks off your spouse!

OK, I've just made the best meal of my life with this fabulous cast iron pan. How do I clean it and care for it?

Here are a few hints that will help you enjoy the benefits of your cast iron pans for decades and decades to come.

1. Your cast iron pan now has a natural non-stick finish. You can keep that finish going by cleaning it in a very simple way. Wash it in the sink using only warm to hot water and a stiff brush or plastic scrubby. No soap! No scouring! They will remove the seasoning and you are back to square one!

2. When finished washing, dry the pan well, place a very small amount of oil in the pan and wipe it around thoroughly. Then, with a fresh piece of paper toweling, wipe off any excess oil. This will have your pan ready for its next use.

3. Do not store the top right on the pan as this will keep air from circulating inside the pan, resulting in some funky smells. Put a towel over the pan if you want to, then put the top on upside down, or just put the top next to it, for Pete's sake.

4. If you start to get a tinny or metallic taste from food cooked in the pan, the seasoning has most likely worn off. Scrub the inside of the pan completely with detergent and then go through the seasoning process again.

5. Do not wash your cast iron pan in the dishwasher. Do not use detergents on it. Do not use soap filled steel wool pads. Any of these actions will remove that seasoned finish that you have worked hard to establish. I know these things for a fact - I did all of them back in college thinking that I was being smart! Wrong! It took a lot longer to get a pan back into good cooking shape than I thought. My Mom almost shot me when I told her what I had done with those old pans. Sorry, Grandma. I know better now.

With any luck, these same pans will be used by our kids to make us those same kind of pot roasts when we visit them from the retirement home in a couple of years!

Cooking With Cast Iron Pans