First thing is after using regular pans for so long I was surprised at the roughness of it. I mean I know what a potjie feels like but to hold a pan this rough feels strange. Weight - still in the box while I finish the day. Will heft it around over the weekend.
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Cast-iron pans
- Thread starter saor
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SauRoNZA
Honorary Master
Sear on the stove, finish in the oven, one pan. Reverse sear on the pan in the oven then slap it onto the range, one pan.
I prefer these because you can get four steaks or a bunch of cutlets on one:
I must agree though that Le Creuset isn't offering anything special here, you could go for any brand and probably save a bit of cash.
Problem with those is the splatter absolutely everywhere.
Also, damn American!
But yeah next time definitely doing reverse sear, I just had oddly sized steaks this time.
SlinkyMike
Honorary Master
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Ain't that the truth. My youngest has grown wise to ti. As soon as she sees that thing come out she starts doing the dishwasher so she can avoid the 'grids off' deep clean the range will require.
I use cast iron for about 90% of my stove-top cooking. I have old and new pans, pots, potjies. They all pretty much do the same thing as each other whether expensive or not.
I find that the more expensive then the initial factory layer/seasoning/coating is better. But after using any of them for a while and treating them well, they get to approx the same patina/polmerised layer.
I am not overly careful with them. Fry at whatever ridiculous temperature I need for my steak. Or whatever potjie I'm making that has acidic tomato-based vibe.
It ain't gonna eat a hole through your pan in either your or your grandkids time.
After use I wash them (try to get some fond and reduction sauce first if viable) with sunlight liquid and hot water and a scrubbing brush. The heat from the hot water will keep your pan warm enough so that it dries well on the rack.
When visibly dry I put a tablespoon of so of cooking oil in the vessel. Rub it all over the interior (I have never dealt with exterior- ever)
And the use another cloth to wipe the layer of oil thin.
That's it. Put in cupboard. Use again.
[If you live in a humid area the oil can grow mouldy if you don't use pan for a while.
The just wash and quick oil before cooking if that is the case]
I find that the more expensive then the initial factory layer/seasoning/coating is better. But after using any of them for a while and treating them well, they get to approx the same patina/polmerised layer.
I am not overly careful with them. Fry at whatever ridiculous temperature I need for my steak. Or whatever potjie I'm making that has acidic tomato-based vibe.
It ain't gonna eat a hole through your pan in either your or your grandkids time.
After use I wash them (try to get some fond and reduction sauce first if viable) with sunlight liquid and hot water and a scrubbing brush. The heat from the hot water will keep your pan warm enough so that it dries well on the rack.
When visibly dry I put a tablespoon of so of cooking oil in the vessel. Rub it all over the interior (I have never dealt with exterior- ever)
And the use another cloth to wipe the layer of oil thin.
That's it. Put in cupboard. Use again.
[If you live in a humid area the oil can grow mouldy if you don't use pan for a while.
The just wash and quick oil before cooking if that is the case]
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Heating I would definitely do after every wash to get rid of moisture. Apart from the initial season, if you use the pan often enough, the seasoning gets built up by cooking with it.
If you aren't using it that often, then maybe season it every now and then. I have an old dish cloth I use for seasoning my pans, and I just spread a super thin layer of oil on the pan and rub it in with a cloth. Then take a different section of the same cloth and buff out the oil almost so that it looks like there wasn't any oil applied. Then heat on the stove/in the oven.
Over time if you've seasoned correctly, the roughness you feel on the pan will turn in a smooth surface.
I heat and oil every time I wash my pan. But I only wash my pan if I won't be using it for a while, or if I cook something super sticky.
SauRoNZA
Honorary Master
Seen a few people mention oiling & heating after washing. This surely doesn't need to be done every time. I'm assuming once or twice a month is fine?
Which is why I don’t wash it (as in soap and water) unless I absolutely have to.
Brush it off and let the oil from the last cook hang around and then quickly dry it on my induction stove for 3 minutes.
When I remember after baking and the oven is hot I’ll wipe it down with oil and put it in the oven as I turn it off.
Does the job, but yeah once a month should be fine.
newby_investor
Executive Member
You can also grind the surface smoother if you so please.
(Obviously seasoni after this process.)
Takealot App only deal, Lifespace 3 Piece Matt Black Cast Iron Skillet Pan Set, R899.
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newby_investor
Executive Member
This looks basically the same as the one I mentioned which Game has:Takealot App only deal, Lifespace 3 Piece Matt Black Cast Iron Skillet Pan Set, R899.
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I liked being able to brown things without worrying about non-stick coatings. I mean I don't mind non-stick - I still use one for quick eggs but I don't like getting them really hot and doing lots of scraping even with a plastic spatula. Nice being able to get in there with some metal and scrape the tasty brown pieces onto the plate. Cleaning was fine - used one of those silver chainmail sponge things, dried with a cloth and gave a light rub of grapeseed oil. Weight not really an issue - not like I'm flipping pancakes with it (yet?). Surprisingly the handle didn't really get that hot - could hold it the whole time. Size is also very nice.
SauRoNZA
Honorary Master
Chain mail ones with rounded loops is fine, but be careful of full blown metal scrubbers unless you want to start over on seasoning every time.
SauRoNZA
Honorary Master
@saor this is my secret weapon.
About
About R50 from Checkers.
Bristles are hard enough to last forever but soft enough not to damage anything. The back plastic bit works perfectly to scrape off stuff.
This was just washed with it, no soap just water after letting it stand on the stove with a bit of water for maybe 10 minutes.
Literally 1 minute job
About
About R50 from Checkers.
Bristles are hard enough to last forever but soft enough not to damage anything. The back plastic bit works perfectly to scrape off stuff.
This was just washed with it, no soap just water after letting it stand on the stove with a bit of water for maybe 10 minutes.
Literally 1 minute job
I used my new 8 inch pan to cook a steak last night, but I started it cold and rendered the sirloin's fat which I then used to cook the steak. Today, my pan is sitting in a layer of tallow. Would you still just use water or do you ever use soap at all?
SauRoNZA
Honorary Master
Every so often my wife gets soap on it which is enough I reckon.
To be clear I’m not like super anal it can’t touch the soap here. The bottom and externals of the pan does get washed with soap water and it’s not like I’m going to lose my mind if it gets on the insides.
Once in a blue moan it’s no big deal to wash it properly with soap and water and I’ll do that when I know I’ll be oiling and putting it in the oven after.
But if it’s covered in a layer of tallow that sounds like it didn’t really see any major hot water, which is pretty much where I start by rinsing the pan in the hottest water I can and then brushing it off.
It just leaves a very thin layer of clean grease when I’m done and drying it on the stove right after means I don’t need to wipe it down etc.
But I did do the dishwasher this week like I had said I would and that remains a hell no, the entire surface just looked completely wrong after coming out of there and the first eggs I tried on it immediately after got stuck with the same heat and amount of oil I normally use so for me there’s a clear difference in performance.
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Starting it cold to render the fat is a trick I just remember next time I do steak.
No I mean it's been left alone since I cooked last night. What I usually do is use a silicon spatula to get the grease off the pan, then wash with soap and water til it's clean, then maybe oil.
Yeah it works if you have a fat cap that's slightly on the thick side.
I've done it with curries also, sometimes I'll trim off the fat from the lamb and render it to fry the onions and meat.
Also, a general query: Does anyone know where I can find hooks to mount my pans to the wall?