Cast iron cookware

[elgecko]

...This would mostly be a substitute for actually grilling meat, which is just too much of a PITA for me these days.

Thanks.

When I'm too lazy to fire up the grill, I use my oven's broiler. It does an acceptable char.

 

[Diogenes]

... They serve really well as deep dish pizza pans, too.

Most of mine are old (>50 years old... a lot with the block font) Griswolds... one of which is an 8" that's amazing for baking cornbread in the oven.

 

[Passinwind]

If I can find the role that cast iron will do me for, then I'd be happy to invest a bit more, and deal with the minor inconvenience of it's upkeep.

This would mostly be a substitute for actually grilling meat, which is just too much of a PITA for me these days.

Buy once, cry once:

Link Removed

My wife got an eight piece Le Creuset set as a company award recently. We had been contemplating buying a piece or two for several years, but just couldn't justify pulling the trigger. We missed out on a lot of great meals, I'm now thinking.

 

[billjr]

I love cast iron. The grill I have has these heavy, thick cast iron grates that store heat much better than the little wire grates. When I cook steaks, I can get a complete set of diamond marks on both sides, whereas wire grates loose their heat after the first side.

I also bought a huge 24" cast iron skillet to use with a fillet mingon recipe. I put it on the grill when I first warm it up, and it heats up perfectly, giving me a great cooking surface that preserves the juices and blackings so I can make the brandy caramel sauce afterwards.

Forget Walmart or other "cookware" stores. Our best selection of cast iron is the local hardware store or the local farm supply store. They have a lot of different styles of gas/charcoal burners and cookers, and lots of cast iron to cook on them. Around here, women go to a dept store to buy cookware, men go to the hardware store.

 

[boing]

Thanks for the responses. I seasoned with bacon grease tonight. We'll see how it goes.

Cast Iron is awesome, though you aren't supposed to use it on glass top electric stoves (I would kill to have gas cooking again)

I'd love to have gas cooking again, too, but why is glass top not recommended? The only thing I'm afraid of is dropping that damn heavy pan and breaking my oven. :scowl:

 

[DanAleks]

...giving me a great cooking surface that preserves the juices and blackings so I can make the brandy caramel sauce afterwards.

That's a beautiful image! Made me tear up a bit just thinking about it

 

[Tat2dHeart]

I couldn't live without my cast iron skillets. They're perfect for making homemade caramel or candies that require caramelizing the sugar (like peanut brittle).