Cast Iron

In the last couple of years I've rediscovered cast iron cookware, and have come to wonder why I ever wanted stainless steel. The cooking properties of cast iron are just so superior - nice even heat that comes from a massive thermal mass which is sort of like a big cooking hug for your food. I guess the one downside is that it is so incredibly heavy, so is not well suited for any sort of fancy cooking that requires flipping or fiddling with the pan. But that sort of cooking is a little pretentious anyway, even though I do like to indulge in it from time to time like for example when flipping pancakes. Speaking of which, check out this video I made a while back on just how awesome cast iron really is.

Once you've been convinced that this really is the cookware for you, you have to learn how to take care of it properly. I've watched a lot of videos on this subject, and there seems to be just about as many ways to look after cast iron as there are people using it. Which is a good thing - that means it is pretty hard to screw it up as long as you follow a few very simple rules. I'll try to state those rules as simply as possible.

I've recently converted to cast iron cookery for a number of reasons, and the no-stick properties of a well-maintained pan is just one of them. Check this out - I started making a double batch of pancakes with about 1/2 teaspoon of lard in the pan, and a good hour later at the end of the batch, the pan is dry but the no stick properties are still rocking my world! In the end I do not even have to wash the pan!