It’s no wonder cast iron cookware is so popular. It conducts heat evenly and can go from the stove top, to the grill, to the campfire, says Calgary food writer, Julie Van Rosendaal.
A well-seasoned cast iron pan is smooth and virtually non-stick, perfect for cooking everything from pancakes to eggs to fish, says Van Rosendaal. Seasoning is the smooth black surface that is created on cast iron by a combination of heat and fat. “The more you use it, especially when you cook things like bacon, or roast chickens, the better the surface will be,” she says.
North Bay, Ontario chef Steve Pitt likes to use his cast iron frying pan to cook single steaks. “Nothing puts a crunchy crust on a steak like a screaming hot iron pan,” he explains. Pitt heats up the pan to 500°F in the oven so he knows exactly how hot it is, then slaps the steak on it for about three minutes each side. “Remember to use thick oven gloves and have the oven hood on full blast because there’s going to be smoke,” he warns.
Cast iron cookware can last for generations. Pitt inherited his cast iron frying pan from his mother who got it as a wedding present in 1952. “A thousand pounds of bacon and an equal number of cartons of eggs likely passed through that pan before I got it,” he says.
Although they have a reputation for being difficult to care for, cast iron doesn’t need to be treated
Drying cast iron after washing prevents rust and a loss of the non-stick surface that makes a cast iron so easy to cook withPhoto: Julie Van Rosendaal
as gingerly as some people believe, says Van Rosendaal. Often the pan only needs to be wiped out with a soft cloth but you can use soap and water, or even scrub tough stuck-on bits if need be, she says. “The key is to dry it well if you do wash it with water so that it doesn’t rust in storage.”
Another caveat is to avoid cooking acidic foods like tomatoes, citrus fruits, or wine in plain cast iron. These can strip off the seasoning, warns Pitt. “The advantage of enameled iron is that you can use it for acidic foods.”
Cast iron can be heavy and awkward to lift, especially the larger pans, says Van Rosendaal. “I don’t mind leaving my larger, more well-used cast iron pans right on the stovetop so they’re ready to be used any time,” she says.
Collecting cast iron cookware has been a growing hobby in recent years. Cast iron enthusiast, Edmonton’s Robert Hynes, started a website with a focus on the history of iron foundries in Canada six years ago. Research into Canadian-made cast iron is relatively new and there are still a lot of gaps in the knowledge, he says. Markings, handle styles and pour spouts are some of the things to look for to determine the age and origins of a piece.
Hynes cautions it’s “buyer beware” when it comes to purchasing second-hand cast iron pieces. “Old antique enameled pieces, for example, usually contained white lead because the lead kept the enamel pliable enough to expand and contract with heat and cold without breaking.” Hynes recommends checking the bottom of pans for flatness using a straight edge ruler and to look for signs of cracking, chips and rust prior to purchase.
Old antiques that aren’t usable for cooking because they are warped or cracked can still be decorative, suggests Hynes. They can be hung on the wall as conversation pieces or used as storage containers.
To clean antique cast iron pieces, Hynes prefers non-destructive methods such as lye (sodium hydroxide), products like oven cleaner, soaking in vinegar and water to remove rust or electrolysis to remove old seasoning, rust and carbon all at once.
To learn more about antique cast iron check out Hynes’ website, www.castironcanada.com, or one of the many Facebook groups on the topic.