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I have a modest collection of cast-iron cookware, and I'm happy to say I haven't paid for any of it. I have inherited all of my well-worn skillets from my grandmothers and a hefty cast iron lidded Dutch oven from my mother-in-law. I've also made off with a few pans from my mom, whether she knows it or not. There is no better gift to receive than a well-seasoned piece of cooking history.
Cast iron is durable enough to be handed down for generations.
I can only imagine the meals my skillets produced in their past lives. Countless batches of fried chicken went down in my paternal Grandmother Louise's kitchen in Jackson, Mississippi. My mother's mother, Jessie, made almost everything in her cast-iron skillets, even in the Florida heat that permeated her kitchen daily. These meals amount to decades and decades of cornbread, chicken and dumplings, pork chops in mushroom sauce, cobbler, skillet cakes and more. And now, every time I retrieve a pan from the cabinet, I am reminded of family members long since departed.
These days, however, cast iron can sometimes get a bad rap. It's heavy to deal with and demands occasional care. Does keeping cast iron pans in ship shape take a bit of work? Absolutely. But season those pans with a bit of elbow grease, and they will love you right back with every dish you prepare in them.
Cast iron is a great conductor of heat, meaning it holds the temperature well, allowing for a nice sear and a natural nonstick ability if your pan is seasoned well. Could these recipes be made in other pans? Indeed, but the outcome may not be as impressive.
Some health professionals also claim that cooking in cast iron has health benefits. If your pan is well seasoned, you can cook with less butter or oil. Another benefit to using cast-iron pans instead of more modern nonstick pans is that you avoid the chemicals used in the coating that gets released when the pans are heated. Cast iron can leach valuable iron into your food, a benefit for those who may be iron-deficient.
The benefits don't end with health. Cast iron pans are versatile and relatively inexpensive — you can score a brand-new Lodge skillet for less than $30, while an equivalent size in stainless steel can run upwards of $150. Scan local estate and garage sales for well-worn (and often well-seasoned) pans for even less money.
Cast iron cooking is thought to be a thing of the past but may well be in a renaissance, thanks to the popularity of the Yellowstone series. If you watch the series, you have likely seen the Dutton family's cook, Gator. Gabriel "Gator" Guilbeau is not just the cook on the show, he is also responsible for feeding the cast and crew during filming. His meals may consist of fifteen 25-pound turkeys on the smoker, vats of crawfish etouffee, and other large feasts, but not every ranch has its own chef. Most eat modest cooking inspired by the old chuckwagon days.
Chuckwagons were the first food trucks, using cowboy cooking to bring food to workers on the move. These recipes may be inspired by cast iron ranch cooking, but they can all be made in any home kitchen, no chuckwagon required.
The Mountain Man skillet meal is perfect for a big breakfast crowd.
Traditionally, this recipe is made in a large, deep cast iron pot that hangs over the campfire.
8 ounces bacon, cut into bite-sized pieces
8 ounces ground breakfast pork sausage
16 ounces frozen hash browns, thawed
1 red bell pepper, seeded and diced
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
½ cup shredded pepper jack cheese
1. Heat a 10-inch or 12-inch cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add the bacon and cook, stirring occasionally, until browned, about 6 minutes, stirring occasionally. Transfer the cooked bacon to a paper towel-lined plate to drain, leaving a little bacon grease in the pan, and reserving the rest in a small bowl.
2. Crumble in the sausage and cook, stirring occasionally, until it begins to brown, about 3 minutes. Stir in the onion, bell pepper and green chile and continue to cook until the peppers and onions are tender, about 5 minutes. Season the mixture well with ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper and transfer to a bowl.
3. Add 2 tablespoons of the reserved bacon grease to the empty skillet. Add the hash browns and cook, tossing them occasionally until they start to brown. Turn off the heat and scatter the potatoes into a single layer. Stir the crisped bacon into the sausage mixture and scatter the mixture into a layer over the potatoes. Whisk 6 of the eggs in a bowl with ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper until smooth, then stir in half of the cheese. Pour evenly over the sausage mixture. Sprinkle the remaining cheese over the top. Bake until the egg mixture sets up, 30 to 40 minutes. Crack the remaining eggs over the top and bake until the whites are set, 8 to 10 minutes. Serve warm.
Don't be afraid of high heat, especially when using a cast iron skillet — a good sear gives the steak a caramelized surface and rich flavor.
Follow these few simple rules to end up with a spectacular steakhouse ribeye in your own home: Leave the steaks out at room temperature for at least 30 minutes before cooking, which allows the thick steaks to cook more evenly. Let the steak have a good rest (5 to 10 minutes) before slicing—this gives the juices a chance to settle among the steak.
1 1½- to 2-inch-thick rib eye or T-bone steak
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
Few sprigs of fresh thyme or rosemary, optional
1. Pat steak dry with paper towels, coat lightly with oil, then season the steak very generously with salt and pepper.
2. Heat a thin layer of vegetable oil in a cast iron skillet over high heat until the oil starts to smoke. Add steak to the hot skillet and cook until a brown crust begins to form on the underside of the steak, about 1 minute. Flip the steak over and cook 1 minute more. Continue flipping every 30 seconds until a nice crust forms, about 4 minutes.
3. Add butter and herbs (if using) to the skillet and continue to cook, basting the steak with the pan juices and flipping the steak often until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the steak registers 120° to 125°F for medium-rare or 130°F for medium. Steak should be medium rare at this time — continue to cook a minute more on each side for medium.
4. Transfer steak to a plate or cutting board and pour pan juices over. Allow the steak to rest for at least 5 minutes before serving or slicing.
Cobbler is an ideal candidate for the grill and is easy to prepare if you have a large cast iron skillet.
Take advantage of a hot grill to cook your dessert outside. Swap the peaches for berries in season or for apples or pears in the fall.
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small cubes, plus more for skillet
7 cups peeled and sliced peaches (or two 20-ounce bags of frozen sliced peaches, thawed and drained)
1. Preheat a grill to medium-high (350˚ to 400˚) or heat an oven to 375°. Butter a 10-inch or 12-inch cast iron skillet.
2. Add peach slices to a large bowl along with the sugar, flour, cinnamon, cloves, salt and nutmeg. Stir to combine until everything is coated evenly. Transfer the mixture to a buttered 10-inch or 12-inch cast iron skillet and scatter the butter cubes over the top. Cover with aluminum foil. Place skillet on the grill, cover and cook until bubbling and hot, about 15 minutes.
3. While the peaches are cooking, make the biscuit topping. Add flour, sugar, and baking powder to a medium bowl and whisk with a fork until combined. Make a well in the center and add the cream and melted butter. Stir until the mixture comes together.
4. Remove the foil from the skillet of peaches and dollop the biscuit mixture over the top. Discard the foil and cover the grill. Cook until the biscuits are golden brown, about 15 minutes. Remove the skillet from the grill and let it rest for 10 minutes before serving.
• To clean your pan initially before its first use, dump in ½ cup kosher salt and scour it with a wet cloth — this will help remove the factory coating. Wash well with soap and water and dry thoroughly. NEVER put your pan in the dishwasher!
• Seasoning a cast iron pan is essential, for it creates a valuable nonstick cooking surface. To season your cast iron cookware, follow these three simple steps: Wipe a thin layer of vegetable oil on all the pan surfaces, including the sides, handle, lid, etc. Place in a 400° oven for 1 hour; then let cool in the oven. Repeat this process three to four times until your pan appears to have a good sheen on the surface. Unless the pan is super dirty, don't scrub the good seasoning away with soap. To clean your cast iron cookware, scrape off any stuck-on food, rinse and dry.
• To prevent rust from forming, dry pans thoroughly before putting them away. I heat mine over a gas burner until it is dry, but you could also put them in a hot oven for a few minutes. While the pan is still warm, rub on a very light coating of vegetable oil with a paper towel or cloth.
Judy Allen has been writing about food for more than 20 years, working as senior food editor for Martha Stewart Living and as a recipe contributor to other national publications. Allen has covered the Tulsa food scene since 2006, working with Tulsa’s top chefs to get the word out about restaurants, events, recipes and any other food news. She enjoys cooking almost anything but loves it even more when others cook for her.
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Cast iron is durable enough to be handed down for generations.
Cobbler is an ideal candidate for the grill and is easy to prepare if you have a large cast iron skillet.
The Mountain Man skillet meal is perfect for a big breakfast crowd.
Don't be afraid of high heat, especially when using a cast iron skillet — a good sear gives the steak a caramelized surface and rich flavor.
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