Ok, so for some reason I’ve been having this almost primordial, iron-age craving to cook in a cast iron skillet. I’m not sure from whence this feeling derives.
I started researching and decided I wanted to jump right in with a pre-seasoned variety. I decided to go with the Lodge brand, which speaks of itself as “America’s Cast Iron.” That sounds strong, eh? I did some more research and learned that this skillet was sold by various vendors, including hardware stores. I really was excited about buying a cast iron pan at a hardware store. I felt like that would add this extra sort of ‘Iron Age’ dynamic to the experience. So, yesterday, I went to Ace Hardware after work and purchased it.
I followed my trip to the hardware store with a trip to the grocery store, to buy crackers. The bag felt heavy as I carried it around with me. I think it just added to the experience.
Today I used the pan for the first time, after following the cleaning instructions on the Lodge website. I made salmon with a miso sauce. It came out great. The sauce was made with red miso, sucanat, soy sauce, Asian cooking oil (pre-flavored), and scallions.
After searing the salmon for a few minutes, I flipped it and popped the entire pan into the oven to finish the process. There was something almost decadent about using the same pan for the stovetop and oven. I had never done this before. My stainless steel pans with non-stainless steel handles have not allowed this.
Here are some of the benefits of cast-iron, from what I’ve heard:
1. Even cooking.
2. Some iron goes into your food, good if you may need some more iron in your diet.
3. Can be nearly non-stick.
It’s important to follow the special care instructions, though – it needs to be treated differently than other types of cookware.
Have you used cast iron?
Crisp and Verdant 
Posted by Lisa (bakebikeblog) on January 4, 2011 at 8:19 pm
ooh I havent – but I would love to try one one day!!!
Posted by purplebirdblog on January 4, 2011 at 8:36 pm
I fantasize about using cast iron all the time but have yet to purchase one. My boyfriend apparently had one before we got together, but an old roommate of his ruined it.
Posted by Lily's Health Pad on January 5, 2011 at 7:37 am
I could really use some good skillets. Is cast iron expensive? Do I have to hand wash it? <—-I hate hand washing things!
Posted by crispandverdant on January 7, 2011 at 4:54 pm
Cast iron seems like it’s generally pretty inexpensive… I got my skillet for about $18. You would have to hand wash it, though.
Posted by BIOCHEMISTA on January 8, 2011 at 12:22 pm
Ohhh! I want one!!!!
Posted by Kelsey @ Snacking Squirrel on January 16, 2011 at 3:08 pm
uve got me jealous! ooo i want want so bad now. look how yummy it cooked up that food!! ❤
Posted by Joslyn @ missfitbliss on January 17, 2011 at 9:35 am
Me and my boyfriend are actually looking to replace our current non-stick skillets. I’m definitely interested in cast iron because I’m a little wary of all the chemicals I suspect get emitted from Teflon pans:(
I don’t really quite understand how to wash cast iron stuff though!
Posted by Kristin on January 18, 2011 at 1:29 pm
Looks amazing! I’m really interested in using a cast-iron skillet. I have my grandmother’s old one, but it hasn’t been used in ages. Maybe I’ll take it out and see what I can do this week…
Posted by tinytearoom on April 16, 2011 at 5:57 am
I’ve been doing some research on cast iron and would love a skillet. I also love the idea of stove to oven cooking. Jamie Oliver makes it look so cool and effortless. I’ll have to wait for a birthday or christmas though. The good quality ones are very $$$. Thank you for the tips.
Posted by raekeung on July 9, 2011 at 1:32 pm
Your food looks and sounds delicious! We had a cast-iron dutch oven at some point. It was wonderful before it broke. I didn’t enjoy caring for it all the time, treating it with oil, and its weight. But, it did cook things evenly and was good for making stew. Unfortunately, the handle broke off. Maybe a cast-iron skillet would be better.