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Boris Galerkin posted:Because everyone says I should have one etc etc etc. I haven't even pulled the stickers off of it and it's been sitting on my counter for about a week but I never feel like I wanna grab it. The only real advantage cast iron is going to have over a high-end stainless frying pan is its non-stickness, and it has a bit more mass to retain heat when you add cold food to the pan, or if youre pan frying or deep frying in it. (Deep frying in a shallow pan is a thing!) However, a $20 cast iron skillet can also do everything that a $120 Stainless pan can do, if you don't already have one laying around.
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Feb 13, 2014 20:28
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Speaking of pan-frying: I fry hamburgers, because I don't have a grill and I don't trust my toaster oven with burgers. I've been doing them in the cast iron, and they turn out okay, but they sear a lot quicker than I'd like. I toss the frozen patty (yeah, yeah, I know.) into the warm pan, and I have to flip it before the other side is even thawed or else it burns. Then the second side doesn't get seared and I get a weird-looking burger. Should I do it differently?
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Feb 13, 2014 22:58
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Captain Trips posted:Speaking of pan-frying: Turn the heat down, and/or use a lid.
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Feb 13, 2014 23:11
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Turn your meat more often? I don't know where that weird idea about not turning your meat comes from, but flip your patty a few more times to try and even out the cooking.
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Feb 13, 2014 23:13
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Kenji at The Food Lab had a pretty good article on flipping meat, he concluded flipping doesn't affect the moisture content of the meat and gave him a better sear and more even temperature throughout. I've had pretty good results following his advice, so there's something there. http://www.seriouseats.com/2012/12/the-food-lab-complete-guide-to-pan-seared-steaks.html under the heading "Flip Out"
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Feb 13, 2014 23:24
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It sounds like your pan is getting to cold while searing the first side. Wouldn't it be better to thaw the burger in the microwave or under running water in a plastic bag than cooking them frozen?
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Feb 13, 2014 23:29
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Along with the Kenji suggestion, he also talks about smashed burgers. Which are tailor made for cast iron.
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Feb 13, 2014 23:52
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contrapants posted:Wouldn't it be better to thaw the burger in the microwave or under running water in a plastic bag than cooking them frozen? I don't trust my microwave (I'll post a pic in the bachelor thread in a minute) but I hadn't thought of the running water idea. I'll try that next time.
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Feb 14, 2014 00:06
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contrapants posted:It sounds like your pan is getting to cold while searing the first side. Another way to thaw is to use the pan itself, just set it in there (in the bag of course) flip it every so often and let the thermal transfer rate of metal wick away the cold.
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Feb 14, 2014 00:19
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May not be the best thread to ask this in, but I cook them with my cast iron. I have recently been making my own corn tortillas with the corn+lime flour, but I can't quite seem to get a great tortilla out of it. What is the proper amount of oil/type of oil/ should I use oil at all? Also, how useful are presses for cast iron? something like this 
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Feb 14, 2014 02:30
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Generally, tortillas are cooked dry, with no oil.
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Feb 14, 2014 02:46
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That thing looks like it would own. I've seen greasy spoons use that sort of thing on bacon but I never thought it would be available to mere mortals. Though it is funny that it costs more than my Lodge pan did.
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Feb 14, 2014 04:42
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Thank you thread, for introducing me to the greatest thing in my kitchen, my 11" cast iron skillet. I just hate that every. loving. time. my friend crashes at my place he's a great houseguest who cleans the kitchen. I have told him dozens of times DO NOT TOUCH THE CAST IRON because he inevitably does something like tosses it in the dishwasher with my good knives, or scrubs the poo poo out of it with soap, or...is horrible to it. I have taken to hiding a sponge in a cabinet above his drat head (hes a short fucker) so I know it stays soap free. I need a lock for the thing, seriously. But the best thing I've discovered is roasting a pork belly right on the racks of my oven and sticking the cast iron underneath to catch the drippings with it full of potatoes. It's like the best parts of fried and baked potatoes combined.
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Feb 14, 2014 06:35
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contrapants posted:Next time you don't have bacon, you can always make popcorn. Using peanut oil, my pan practically became a mirror after that. Frying chicken's good like this too.
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Feb 14, 2014 09:06
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Paper With Lines posted:That thing looks like it would own. I've seen greasy spoons use that sort of thing on bacon but I never thought it would be available to mere mortals. Got a brick?
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Feb 14, 2014 13:31
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PatMarshall posted:Generally, tortillas are cooked dry, with no oil. I've tried without oil, with a little oil, with a lot of oil, and nothing quite seemed to work right. I am starting to think that maybe my ratio of flour to water is off, or maybe the tortillas aren't thin enough. edit: after reading some reviews of the press I have I think I am encountering an issue with the fact that it is made of aluminum, and therefore bows where the dough is and doesn't flatten the tortillas out enough. Should have gone with the cast iron. The Slack Lagoon fucked around with this message at 04:25 on Feb 15, 2014 |
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Feb 15, 2014 04:16
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I love making steaks and burgers when it isn't convenient or I'm too lazy to use the grill, it also works well as a wok because of how hot you can get it. I havn't used any of my cast iron since we moved to our new house as it has an electric oven, I just don't trust that drat thing. I wish I could find some sort of gas operated counter top griddle.
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Feb 15, 2014 17:02
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Electric won't hurt cast iron. Might not get quite as hot as a good gas range, though. Fire em up.
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Feb 15, 2014 17:05
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Captain Trips posted:Speaking of pan-frying: Move the hamburgers to the fridge the day before you cook them. You're wasting a lot of heat when you try to defrost and cook simultaneously.
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Feb 21, 2014 21:35
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A lot of time frozen patties specify not to thaw them. I've done it, and they fall apart. It raises the question of why you are buying frozen patties, though.
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Feb 21, 2014 22:02
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Best lazy burger method via cast iron is the smash.
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Feb 21, 2014 22:52
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Is "flax oil" from a vegan store the same thing as the "flaxseed oil" that people use to season pans with?
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Feb 21, 2014 23:18
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Boris Galerkin posted:Is "flax oil" from a vegan store the same thing as the "flaxseed oil" that people use to season pans with? If it's edible, yes. If it's not for eating, then it might be linseed oil, which is from the same plant but not food safe.
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Feb 21, 2014 23:22
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Boris Galerkin posted:Is "flax oil" from a vegan store the same thing as the "flaxseed oil" that people use to season pans with? I would guess it's the same. No need to use expensive Flax oil though, regular veg oil is fine.
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Feb 21, 2014 23:43
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Tweek posted:A lot of time frozen patties specify not to thaw them. I've done it, and they fall apart. Cause they're cheaper than fresh beef, and I can buy a whole box of them once a month.
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Feb 21, 2014 23:54
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Yeah, and sawdust is a cheap filler for meatloaf. It doesn't make it a good idea.
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Feb 21, 2014 23:56
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Vaga posted:I would guess it's the same. No need to use expensive Flax oil though, regular veg oil is fine. I want to learn how to cook and get into the science behind it. When coming across this thread I recalled that my mom has a couple really old cast iron skillets that I only remember as old and ugly and neglected because they were rusting. I had asked my dad what kind of cookware he used, and although he mostly uses stainless steel, he has experience with cast iron. When I asked him about using grape-seed oil he said just go with vegetable oil because the former "is for salads." He also suggested that I only use cast iron if I have a lot of time in my hands. Agree/disagree?
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Feb 23, 2014 01:57
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That Old Ganon posted:It's funny because I was about to come in and ask about this. The OP has a link to the sciencey bit of seasoning cast iron. Flaxseed oil is your best bet, but it basically boils down to a higher smoke point usually being better. I disagree that you need time on your hands to use cast iron. If you get something stuck on it, you can just scrub at it with whatever tools (power or manual) you need to use to get it off. Otherwise, you can beat the poo poo out of it, and worst case scenario you'll need to reseason (which is really easy).
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Feb 23, 2014 02:04
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That Old Ganon posted:He also suggested that I only use cast iron if I have a lot of time in my hands. Agree/disagree? This is silly. I use cast iron for about 90% of my stovetop/oven cooking. There is the same effort of upkeep as with other pans, it's really no big deal - it's sometimes actually even easier to keep clean. Just don't use soap to wash it and you're good.
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Feb 23, 2014 02:06
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Drifter posted:This is silly. I use cast iron for about 90% of my stovetop/oven cooking. There is the same effort of upkeep as with other pans, it's really no big deal - it's sometimes actually even easier to keep clean. Just don't use soap to wash it and you're good. The upkeep is different, but not any more time consuming than any other pan. Might be faster to clean up, in fact.
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Feb 23, 2014 05:01
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MrYenko posted:The upkeep is different, but not any more time consuming than any other pan. Might be faster to clean up, in fact. I'm glad you agree with my post. Cast iron bros for life.   
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Feb 23, 2014 17:06
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Massasoit posted:May not be the best thread to ask this in, but I cook them with my cast iron. I have a thing like this. It keeps my bacon flat and evenly cooked in my cast iron skillet. You could also wrap a brick in aluminum foil. These are both great options for panini, too. I've done flour tortillas in my (dry) cast iron and they came out great. Maybe there's something up with your corn tortilla recipe...
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Feb 24, 2014 23:13
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psychokitty posted:I have a thing like this. It keeps my bacon flat and evenly cooked in my cast iron skillet. You could also wrap a brick in aluminum foil. These are both great options for panini, too. I would never feel a need to use a press for bacon. Just cook it low and slow and it'll literally be the best bacon ever.
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Feb 24, 2014 23:36
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Drifter posted:I would never feel a need to use a press for bacon. Just cook it low and slow and it'll literally be the best bacon ever. I usually cook my bacon in the oven. Even low and slow in my cast iron, though, it will curl.
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Feb 25, 2014 01:59
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psychokitty posted:I usually cook my bacon in the oven. Even low and slow in my cast iron, though, it will curl. I started doing this to make BLTs for a mass audience and tbh, it is better if you have a great cooling rack. If the space between the spokes is sufficiently narrow, then everything cooks evenly, you lose a lot of the unneeded grease and you have more control over the final product. I love using my cast iron, but unless I'm making like three pieces, I'll never cook bacon in it again.
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Feb 25, 2014 05:47
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Paper With Lines posted:I started doing this to make BLTs for a mass audience and tbh, it is better if you have a great cooling rack. If the space between the spokes is sufficiently narrow, then everything cooks evenly, you lose a lot of the unneeded grease and you have more control over the final product. I love using my cast iron, but unless I'm making like three pieces, I'll never cook bacon in it again. I generally use my fifteen incher (  ) and it fits 5-8 pieces quite well. I eat alone. 
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Feb 25, 2014 06:11
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Paper With Lines posted:That thing looks like it would own. I've seen greasy spoons use that sort of thing on bacon but I never thought it would be available to mere mortals. If you want perfectly flat bacon that looks like someone ironed/pressed it, go for it.
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Feb 25, 2014 14:24
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Paper With Lines posted:I started doing this to make BLTs for a mass audience and tbh, it is better if you have a great cooling rack. If the space between the spokes is sufficiently narrow, then everything cooks evenly, you lose a lot of the unneeded grease and you have more control over the final product. I love using my cast iron, but unless I'm making like three pieces, I'll never cook bacon in it again. Yeah I have wire racks with pretty thin wires. I line my baking sheet with aluminum foil and pop the rack on top. Then I can usually do a whole pound of thick bacon on there with no fuss (just pull up the foil and pour the hot grease into my grease collector). I use the big cast iron for thin bacons or for "lardons." I have been known to put a few pieces of thick or thin bacon in it and put it in the oven :O mostly because my stove sucks rear end and doesn't heat anything evenly (I rent, so not much I can do about that). The bacon in the cast iron in the oven thing is actually pretty amazing.
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Feb 25, 2014 14:59
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Do you think one of those weights would be good for a thinner steak, like faux hanger? I think it's a really tasty cheap cut, but I have mad problems with it curling up on me. I want my crust, goddamnit.
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Feb 25, 2014 20:43
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Luegene Cards posted:Do you think one of those weights would be good for a thinner steak, like faux hanger? I think it's a really tasty cheap cut, but I have mad problems with it curling up on me. I want my crust, goddamnit. Your best bet is to let your steak come to room temp first, but I dunno, you could try a press? I can't think of any reason it would be bad, necessarily. Cheaper just to wait an hour.
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Feb 25, 2014 22:57
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