Cast Iron Skillet!

Exciting news. I recently inhereted a nice, hefty 10" cast iron skillet. In addition, I just moved to my new apartment, which has a decent gas stove. So I was wondering if anyone would like to give me some ideas for what I could cook to celebrate the new acquisition and help ease the pain of moving away from Louisville.

Also, some expert tips on seasoning pans would be greatly appreciated. I get the gist, but I'm sure you guys have some shortcuts.

Thanks,
Joe

Fried chicken, fried pork chops, fried fish, fried anything. I have 2 cast iron skillets and use them for just about anything....they make it into the oven quite a bit as well.

Coat with a bit of oil...high heat until smoking will season it well.

Joe
I have a couple of them myself. I use grapeseed oil to do the initial seasoning. It has a very high smoke point which is needed. Get your skillet very hot, carefully add enough oil to coat the bottom of the pan then I add coarse Kosher salt. Remove from heat and use a clean towel and a pair of tongs to give the pan a good scrub. It kinda messy and very hot. Discard the oil/salt mixture into a container where it can cool before tossing it away. Then I do the final cleaning with a few paper towels.

Joe
I have a couple of them myself. I use grapeseed oil to do the initial seasoning. It has a very high smoke point which is needed. Get your skillet very hot, carefully add enough oil to coat the bottom of the pan then I add coarse Kosher salt. Remove from heat and use a clean towel and a pair of tongs to give the pan a good scrub. It kinda messy and very hot. Discard the oil/salt mixture into a container where it can cool before tossing it away. Then I do the final cleaning with a few paper towels.

I second this procedure. Scrubbing with a coarse salt is a very important step, don't skip it. I love my iron skillet. I bet you find yourself using it for everything.

Thanks very much for the tips so far. The kitchen is almost usable after a couple days of settling in.

Can make pizza in it too

as well as cornbread and upside down cakes...

[Robin Garr]

The best way to make great steaks and chops: Sear them in the skillet over high heat on the stovetop, then wham the whole works into a hot oven to finish. Catch the timing right, and you get a perfect medium rare all the way through, with a crusty exterior.

You're just plain mean, Robin. I'm pregnant, and you just made me drool!

[Robin Garr]

You're just plain mean, Robin. I'm pregnant, and you just made me drool!

I thought it was alcohol that you were supposed to avoid during pregnancy? Not red meat too!? (Sometimes I wonder how any of us managed to get born, with all the bad things our Mommies did because they didn't know any better.)

Best wishes, though, Michelle! Will this be your first?

They can take my booze, but they'll pry my rare steak from my cold,dead hands!

Yes, this will be our first. I'm elated, yet terrified at the same time. Trying not to screw up another human being too badly will be trying, indeed.

Robin is dead on. I think steaks done that way are better than grilled. The only problem, if you dont have a professional style vent for your stove you really smoke up the kitchen. I solved that problem by using my propane burner from my turkey cooker.(Outdoors of course) I remove a grate from my grill and use it on top of my burner to rest my skillet on during the searing process. I tried heating the skillet on my grill but found it didnt get hot enough. The turkey cooker really works well.

I agree with the others that the cast iron makes for an awesome steak,worth the smokey kitchen. Another thing we do with our cast iron skillet is to make a frittata of sorts. I will run a bunch of potatoes through the mandolin and take the very thin slices and create a sort of shell by layering them on the bottom and around the sides of a very hot skillet. After they have started to brown and set up we add eggs,some cheese and whatever needs to be used up in the fridge. Then put it in the oven till the eggs set well,let cool a bit and then turn the whole thing out onto a large plate. This eats well hot or cold.
Another thing to remember about the cast iron is to take care cleaning it. No soap,,just hot water. If you do get something stuck or burnt on,dump in some coarse salt and rub the salt into the spot with a paper towel, this works great.

I set off two smoke alarms making flatiron steak in our apartment last night. We had to unattach and bury the "permanent" one under a stack of pillows to stifle it

I set off two smoke alarms making flatiron steak in our apartment last night. We had to unattach and bury the "permanent" one under a stack of pillows to stifle it

I swear my mother-in-law used the smoke alarms in lieu of a timer to determine when the food was done which translated into well, well done.
Redwinger