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Are Cast Iron Pans Good For Cooking? - Yahoo Recipe Search
Food52There has never been a more one-of-a-kind pizza like the bar pizza. For the most part they are never good, many times they are awful, but that has never stopped anybody from ordering one. Patrons order them because they are drinking. Combine it with hunger and it makes these pizzas far better then they would ever be if a shot of better judgement was in hand. Without exception a bar pizza reigns over the pink pickled eggs languishing in the murky liquid of the large glass jar back by the whisky. Bar pizzas are also infinitely better then the microwavable cups of Spaghetti-Os or the burritos ensconced in a cardboard tortilla. Even so, that doesn't make them good. Here is the catch, in Indiana this food exists and maintains a life all its own because in Indiana if a bar sells liquor by the drink it has to be able to serve food to a minimum of 25 people at all times. On top of that many bars(mostly working class bars) don't have room for a kitchen much less the money for one. To get around this law most bar fly type establishments bring in a microwave, a toaster oven labeled as a pizza oven, or a snack rack where pork rinds rule. Sporks and disposable tableware abide, as do paper towels used as napkins. It is less then the bare minimum and ordering anything while the bartender is busy is likely to make him/her hate you. In the moment though, when hunger and alcohol meet, a bar pizza is the best pizza ever. It doesn't happen often but it does happen enough that people continue to order them. If all things aline, it hits the sweet spot—that meaty place on the bat that makes hitting a home run feel effortless. In food speak it is the moment when something is at its best, it is perfectly ripe for eating, and waiting longer is to watch perfection in its decline. Here is the problem, why would I want to make one of these awful pizzas at home? If I do make them at home it doesn't mean I am drinking at home, well not often anyway. It means I have kids, kids that want pizza—all the time. I make a great pizza dough. I make great pizza but then there are those nights where I don't want too. It is readily apparent to me why I need to perfect this pizza. Make it a dinner everyone requests on any given night. The point is, this is a great pizza to have in your back pocket and I never would have thought much about it until I read an article at Serious Eats. At that moment I knew I was going to start making bar pizzas, I was diving in deep and going for it, and I did. Like lots of recipes though, and maybe even more so, this one takes practice. Myself, I always make a recipe three times before I give up on it and in this case it took all three times. It's okay, there is nothing wrong with eating your mistakes when it comes to food. Besides it is not a lot of work and here is why. My kids love spaghetti and there is rarely a day I don't have a homemade tomato sauce of some kind in the fridge. Bacon, ham, salami, or even pepperoni are always in the deli drawer. I almost always have some sort of mozzarella too, either fresh or grated. I have taken too keeping tortillas in the freezer for quesadillas, so adding tortillas as pizza crusts to the list of uses is a plus. . Even so, if you had none of these specific ingredients you have something, say eggs, ham, and gruyere. If not you won't make this pizza anyway. But as I said, I am looking for the sweet spot, with practice I found it, and ever since making bar pizzas is like effortlessly hitting one out of the park. 1. When it is time to sauce the tortilla put a dollop of sauce in the middle of the tortilla and using the back of the spoon spiral your way to the outer edge. If this were a regular pizza I would tell you to stop short of the edge by about 1/2-inch but with this kind of pizza take the ingredients to the edge. It keeps the tortilla from being charred beyond recognition. 2. I have used all kinds of pans to make this pizza, stainless steel, enamel, cast iron and a comal (pictured). I like the camol best but I also know not everyone has a comal. I made these in a 12-inch cast iron skillet for a long time before I started using the comal. I use a comal simply for ease of access to the tortilla. I makes the pizza easier to assemble. 3. Turn on the broiler before taking anything out of the fridge or putting a pan on the stove. It needs time to get hot. 4. Keep all the ingredients at pans edge. These go fast and you have to be ready with the ingredients. 5. It is important to brown the the tortilla deeply before turning it. If it isn’t brown enough the pizza will lack the crunch that makes it so good. 6. Place the top oven rack 7 to 8 inches from the broiler. This prevents the pizza from cooking to fast and keeps the edges from burning.Yummly## What is a frittata? The frittata is the Italian cousin to quiche - basically a big, veggie-packed omelet. The traditional cooking approach often involves stirring, broiling or (eek!) flipping the eggs to make sure it's fully cooked and golden brown. This easy spinach frittata recipe skips the tricky bits: Instead, the eggs cook all the way through in the oven. The recipe is a Yummly original created by [Edwina Clark, RDN](https://www.yummly.com/dish/author/edwina-clark-rdn). ## What veggies can go into a frittata? The frittata is a very flexible dish: Making one from whatever veggies are in the fridge is a common approach. Asparagus, red bell pepper, green onions, and fresh spinach are all delicious. In this recipe, sun-dried tomatoes infuse flavor into the eggs and baby spinach rounds out the flavors. It’s a flavorful spin on the classic spinach frittata. Don't forget at least a pinch of salt and a few good grinds of black pepper. Frozen spinach works perfectly as long as you thaw it and squeeze out the extra water before adding it in. For good looks and a punch of bright flavor, you can “float” a few grape tomatoes on top of the egg mixture right before it goes into the oven. ## So...just veggies? Heavens no. Meat, cheese, and milk are all welcome additions. Parmesan cheese is the classic flavor booster, but anything you’d put in an omelet works: sausage, cheddar cheese, swiss cheese, ham, up to a 1/4 cup of cream or whole milk. If you add bacon, you can skip the salt. If you leave out meat and cheese entirely, you may need up to one teaspoon salt. Be sure to cook any meat ahead of time: A few minutes in a frying pan on medium heat will do it for bacon. Whatever your final mix, ground black pepper is a must-have. ## How to cook a frittata Remember to preheat the oven just as soon as you get into the kitchen - part of the secret to the gloriously quick cooking time (total time of 15 to 20 minutes) is high oven heat (425º F). You’ll need all of your sundried-tomato-cutting / egg-whisking time for the oven to preheat. Pan size is somewhat flexible: A 10- or 12-inch cast-iron skillet or non-stick frying pan is perfect for this. However, if you don’t have either, improvise: A pie pan, well coated with nonstick spray (or olive oil or butter), will also work. ## An easy make-ahead dish There are several different ways to create a make-ahead frittata. The simplest: Cook it the night before and serve it cold straight from the fridge. Frittata is one of those rare dishes that tastes good warm, cold, or at room temperature. Another make-ahead option is to combine the ingredients in a large bowl the day before. Store it sealed in the fridge, preheat oven in the morning and pour egg mixture straight into your pan to cook. If grating Parmesan before you’ve had your first (or fourth) cup of coffee is not for you, having everything prepped the night before can be a lifesaver. ## Is a frittata healthy? That depends on what “healthy” means to you - it’s gluten-free, high in protein and low carb. It’s perfect for a keto diet - and see below for a paleo frittata variation, if that’s your style. Frittata is also vegetarian (assuming you don’t add meat) and an easy way to get your veggies (if you fill it with veggies). It’s also high-fat, because it’s chock-full of eggs. But you knew that, right? A frittata can be made with egg whites (or some egg whites and some whole eggs) to reduce the fat content. ## Side dishes to serve with frittata What goes well with a frittata? Something bright and crunchy (like a salad), salty (like ham), or carby (toast or biscuits) are all good choices. Serve a frittata with bacon and crispy potatoes for a breakfast feast, or with a green salad for a classy weekend brunch. Another option is to reflect the veggies in the frittata: A Tex-Mex green chile and jack cheese frittata pairs well with sour cream, salsa, and sliced avocado. A feta frittata is perfect with a greek salad full of red onion and olives dressed with lemon and extra virgin olive oil.Food and WineLast summer, I had the good fortune to travel with my partner to Croatia. We spent two weeks traversing the coastline of Croatia, where, in a cinderblock cabin surrounded by olive trees outside the Istrian town of Pula, Croatia, we got a lesson in how to make Croatia’s most prized dish, peka. Peka is the name for both the bell-shaped, domed cooking vessel made of cast iron and the meal that is prepared in it. The process for making peka is ancient and involves placing the pan over a bed of glowing coal embers and scooping more embers on top of the domed lid to create an oven-like environment where meats or seafood and vegetables are slow-roasted inside.Our teacher was Nikola of Eat Istria, and our day began at the market in Pula, where Nikola led me and my partner from stall to stall to collect ingredients. We were asked if we preferred lamb necks or veal chops. Perhaps octopus? We chose lamb, and that meant a stop at the vegetable stand for potatoes, carrots, onions, and garlic to accompany.At the cabin, we prepped the ingredients with minimal fuss, roughly cutting the carrots and onions, leaving the potatoes and garlic cloves whole, and layering them in the base of the dish with the lamb on top so the fat and juices would baste them throughout cooking. We plucked needles from a handful of rosemary sprigs snipped from the yard and doused the whole thing in white wine and a luxurious amount of extra-virgin olive oil that created a heady sauce of sorts in the bottom of the dish.As Nikola built a campfire on the side of a stone wall, he explained that we would wait for the fire to die down and then surround the peka with the residual ashy embers. These small chunks of coal produce just the right amount of heat to slowly cook the meal over the course of an hour or two. Once the embers were ready, we carried the weighty peka from the kitchen to the bed of coals and opened some local wines to while away the afternoon, patiently awaiting our one-pot feast.A waft of scented steam roared from the pot as Nikola lifted the dome to reveal the gloriously browned lamb necks. We peeked in and spied potatoes and carrots that were so dark in spots they were nearly burnt, but in a good way. The olive oil at the bottom was still bubbling and spitting as we gathered around the weathered wood table under a vine-covered pergola.Many of the homes we saw in Croatia had an outdoor fireplace for live-fire cooking—a centerpiece of the home, where meals are still made and families still gather. We spent the next few hours lingering at the table, talking about life in Croatia, politics, food—and most of all, wine. The large peninsula of Istria where our meal took place makes up Croatia’s northern coast; it is known for its gastronomic riches, including some of the best wines in the country. We tasted broody reds made from indigenous grapes like Teran, Refosco, and Borgonja and complex whites made from Malvasia. These regional varieties all matched perfectly with the meal, naturally, and we found the offerings from Piquentum particularly good.That experience inspired me to cook over a fire more often this past year. It makes me feel more connected to the elemental act of preparing food and sharing it with others, and it satisfies the soul the way no modern method can. For convenience, I’ve adapted this recipe to be prepared using a charcoal grill, as well as using your oven. But if you have the time, I encourage you to lean into tradition: build a fire, and settle in for a long, slow roast. It will be an experience neither you nor your guests will soon forget.Food.comIt is interesting how he puts the steaks right on the coals, hence the need for a blow dryer. It's a good episode to watch to see how creative he is. **If you don't do it directly on the hot coals, you need to cook it longer, like 2-3 minutes per side (and watch for flare ups). Really, you can make it any way you like! I sometimes use the broiler - heat up a cast iron skillet then place the steaks on it to broil - or just a quick pan fry with some olive oil. Oh, and DEFINITELY pay attention to the way to cut the steak, it makes all the difference! Makes a great marinade on whatever meat you choose :) Prep time includes a one hour marinating time.Food.comThis recipe is from Lodge Cast Iron, and is also featured in Cast-Iron Cooking for Dummies. It's designed to take advantage of a cast iron biscuit pan or a cast iron skillet or griddle. I used the basic recipe last night, and they came out tender and fluffy like a drop biscuit but with the taste of a good ol' buttermilk biscuit. I'll include variations from both sources in my end notes.Food52Chicken and rice is a soulful combination, with rich traditions all over the world. I love a one-pot meal, and there are lots of good ways to cook chicken and rice together. Me being a Cajun, jambalaya comes to mind. But something that’s always nagged at me when doing a chicken and rice dish is the shame it is to not end up with crispy skin on the chicken. Often you spend time browning the skin and getting it crispy at the outset, only to lose that effect by finishing the chicken either covered with a lid or submerged in liquid (or both) with the rice. So. I’ve been tinkering with a technique that does a pretty good job of solving this problem. The trick is to bake the chicken, on top of the rice, in the oven. That way, both the chicken and rice are cooked through in the same pot, thus still allowing the chicken to flavor the rice, as it also develops and keeps that crispy skin, because the skin is exposed to the hot oven, not covered with a lid or submerged in liquid. You get the added bonus of the roasted flavor and crispy bits on the edge of the rice that only an oven can produce. Important to note: I use chicken thighs in this recipe, because they have a lot more flavor than white meat, and they’re much more forgiving – you have to try pretty hard to overcook chicken thighs, unlike breasts. And with this recipe, you do need some time in the oven for the rice to cook. As always, bone-in will give the dish more flavor, but boneless thighs are good too, if you can find them with skin on. One way to think about cooking is to cross reference flavor profiles with cooking concepts. For example, I mostly developed this “oven-baked chicken and rice” concept with a Cajun flavor profile, which for me entails some type of Cajun seasoning (like Tony Chachere’s), bay leaves, and maybe thyme; a veggie combo of onion, bell pepper, celery, and garlic; and garnishes of Louisiana-style hot sauce, green onions, and parsley. This recipe, on the other hand, is the same technique, but with a Thai-inspired taste. So the seasoning I use here is soy sauce, fish sauce, Sriracha, peanut butter, coconut milk, and lime zest; the veg is onion, red bell pepper, jalapeno, garlic, and ginger; and the garnishes are lime juice and cilantro. I’m sure there are other ingredients that would make this recipe more authentically Thai, but frankly, my closest grocery store doesn’t have a great Asian food section, and I’m always in favor of using what’s at hand, so I’m happy to keep this recipe more streamlined. The point is – feel free to cook with whatever flavors you want. I can imagine Mexican, Indian, Italian, French, and Spanish versions of this concept. P.S. Fish sauce is ubiquitous in southeast Asian cuisine – it gives dishes a funky, possibly umami(?) kick. But as Jacques Pepin would say, be parsimonious with it. A little bit goes a long way, and generosity here could leave your meal smelling like a dirty sock. P.P.S. My girlfriend just gave me a really nice 3.5 quart enameled cast iron braising pan, which I used for this dish. It’s twelve inches across, which turned out to be the perfect size - big enough to hold all the ingredients, but shallow enough so that the oven browns the chicken skin. Any heavy, oven-proof 12-inch pan should work fine.Food.comThis is how we cook our leftover baby spuds, when we have any leftovers that is! Therefore, I often find myself cooking up a pan of these potatoes, in order for them to be grilled or baked on the BBQ! Quantities given are assuming that there will be other accompaniments - please feel free to increase or decrease the amounts listed. Split them open once baked/grilled and spread with butter and a good twist of sea salt plus some ground black pepper - no other embellishments are needed for these delicious potatoes! When the potatoes are VERY baby in size, I cook these in an old cast iron pan which is used just for the BBQ - they still come out smoky and delectable!Food.comMy husband's dream meal...cheese topped grilled steak with a side of potatoes, onions and mushrooms. To make this meal an event with a great presentation, while going through the whole process of the recipe, I heat up my largest cast iron pan (12 inches and buttered it to prevent sticking). Once cooked, I mound in the potatoes & mushrooms to keep them warm (careful--hot!). To save time, prep the roasted garlic ahead of time. I listed the cook time for the time it takes to grill a steak. All other time is under prep as these overlap. Note: About the steak. The size of the steak depends on what you can find. If the steak is too large, cut into smaller pieces. Also, seasoning with salt and pepper is fine, but if you want to make it ultimate, use any good marinade or rub. Some suggestions: recipe #370406, recipe #460978, recipe #451015, recipe #197598...thousands of them on food.com. The World Is Your Steak...so to speak.Food52Growing up, my favorite afternoon snack was my dad’s pan-fried cheung fun. This version doesn't stray too far, keeping with a generous drizzle of hoisin, but I add a little nuttiness with tahini and more textural contrast with crispy wisps of trumpet mushrooms and garlic chips. You can find packaged cheung fun, or rice noodle rolls, at most Chinese or Asian grocery stores. If fresh, the noodles will still be a little soft to the touch. I like to cook them the same day, but it’s totally fine to refrigerate them. If refrigerated, the cheung fun will be stiff and firm, but they will soften again when you pan-fry them. A large well-seasoned cast-iron pan is my ideal tool for perfectly crisping up the cheung fun until lightly golden and blistered, but if you don’t have one, a good non-stick pan will work just fine. I like to pair this nostalgic dish with a drink that brings out the nutty flavor of the tahini and browned mushroom bits and the sweetness from the hoisin, which is why I usually whip up something with caramel-forward Maker’s Mark 46®. A Smoked Honey Penicillin is a perfect match for this cheung fun, with a gentle heat from freshly muddled ginger, a charred smokiness from lapsang souchong syrup, and a touch of vanilla and spiced notes from Maker’s Mark 46®.May 17, 2024 · In the world of cast iron, there are unfounded, untested claims left, right, and center. It's time to put a few of those myths to rest. Then, check up on our cast iron skillet review to make sure you're cooking with the best pans (we tested 11 of 'em) possible.
- J. Kenji López-Alt
- 6 min
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Jun 2, 2024 · In this guide, I break down the pros and cons of cast iron cookware in more detail. You’ll learn how it’s made, how it performs, how to cook with it, how to maintain it, how much it costs, and more. Read on to determine whether cast iron cookware is right for your kitchen.
Feb 5, 2021 · Most cast iron cookware is made by melting a combination of iron ore and steel at super-high temperatures (we’re talking in the realm of 2,500-3,000 degrees Fahrenheit!). The metals are bonded together and shaped with molds, then typically sandblasted to remove any impurities.
Mar 11, 2024 · A quality cast-iron skillet is one of the best long-term kitchen investments you can make, and we at the Epicurious test kitchen want to help.
Jan 4, 2024 · A cast-iron skillet is great for everything from searing a T-bone to roasting a chicken, and it will become naturally nonstick over time. We’ve tested 16 skillets since 2017, and we think the...
2 days ago · To find the best cast iron skillets, we tested 20 pans to observe their design, cooking performance, value, and more. Read on for our top-rated picks, plus a few helpful insights on cast iron...
May 19, 2022 · Cast iron skillets are probably the most popular form of this cookware, but cast iron is also used to make pots, griddles, cake pans, pizza sheets, and more. Can be used for cooking...
