Cast iron

I've got a cast iron skillet that I've used on the side burner of my gas grill to fry some fish in the past. My wife and I have a smooth(glass) stove top in our house and I know that we can't use it inside. So my question is can I use the cast iron skillet on the grill either inside the grill, but will leave lid open or use the side burner? I'm thinking about trying to cook some boneless chicken breast marinaded.

 

I use my cast iron skillets on a glass top stove. Curious as to why you think you can't.

 

I don't see why you couldn't use a cast iron skillet on the side burner of a grille or inside the grille. Don't even need to keep the lid open, that's the beauty of cast iron. I have a propane stove and often sear steaks on the cast iron skillet on the cooktop part, then throw the whole thing, skillet and all into the oven to cook. If they're properly seasoned, the heat won't hurt the cast iron skillets.

 

I thought the cast iron would be too heavy or scratch the glass.

 

I guess it could scratch the glass. We are usually pretty easy on the stove top and don't slide things around on it when we can help it. Before I got my outdoor brewing going I'd do two 3 gallon batches of wort on it and it handled the weight fine (probably around 55-58lbs total).

 

Gotcha. Thanks

 

i would use the side burner for that application.

but i have put my cast iron skillet into the grill to roast a chicken. i wanted to save the juices for a gravy.

cast iron is the swiss army knife of the pots and pans world. there isnt anything it cannot do. okay, you cant make a sheet cake with it. i love plopping my pan into a campfire.

i have a friend that has a super smooth steel plate he used on his induction range. maybe that would work for the CI?

 

What kind of food or recipes can I cook using the 12 inch cast iron skillet. I think mine is a 12 inch. Kinda excited about cooking on it. My mom and dad bought it for me a few Christmas ago.

 

I use mine for steak but that's certainly not all you can cook on it. I get mine nice and hot, throw a little butter on it, sear the steak on both sides and throw the whole thing in the oven for about 10 minutes to finish cooking (thick steaks need this extra step, thinner ones may not).

You can pretty much cook just about anything on a cast iron bacon and eggs with added veggies, burgers, mixed stew-like meals (cook the meat and sauce in the skillet and add in the carb of your choice). They really are the swiss army knife of cookware. Make sure you properly seasoned your skillet before using it. This usually just consists of coating it with oil and cooking it for a couple hours.

 

Yeah I read that I need to cook on it a couple of times before I start cooking things other than frying.

 

Google 'Seasoning a cast iron skillet', you need to bake the skillet with nothing in it except a coating of veggie oil. It soaks into the cast iron and helps protect the finish. You should do that before you cook anything on it.

 

If you leave oil or grease on cast iron it will turn rancid and make your food taste like poo while not being very healthy for the consumer.


I would highly recommend using cast iron conditioner over any organic oil or grease.



http://www.campchef.com/cast-iron-conditioner.html

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F0GXc_2xa_4

 

And don't wash with soap! Otherwise, you wash the seasoning off. Your cast iron will never be nonstick without that seasoning.

I use just hot water and a nylon dish brush. A soak in hot water for stubborn jobs or sometimes salt (to act as an abrasive). Always hand dried, followed by a light rubdown of cooking oil afterward.

 

To each their own, but that stuff is not meant to be in open air and last forever. It's going to turn rancid and when it does I don't want it on my cooking utensils


Seems everyone uses that stuff, but I'm a new 'cast iron' cook so I never got into the old school ways to keep cast iron. Everything I ever read says to stay far away from oil and it makes total sense to me.

 

I think the use of Lard, Bacon grease, cooking oil... what ever to season your cast iron is perfectly acceptable as long a you use it frequently. My Grandparents, Parents and now my family have been using it for decades without issue.

 

I've had my cast iron skillet for 4 years now... use it mostly for cooking veggies (fajitas and side dishes mostly). Seasoned in the oven with canola oil when i first got it. Since then, I never oil the pan but lightly brush oil on the veggies. I charcoal grill all the time and often lay the skillet directly on the coals to get a nice intense char.

Cleaning: I use a 2 paper towels to wipe the surface (inside and out). When not in use, it's wrapped in a towel next to my dehumidifier.

 

Bacon grease.

 

I guess if the oil never has a chance to go bad it would be fine.

I just never use mine that often.

 

Yep, I use mine all the time. If it doesn't involve a pot or an omelette, then I'm using one of my iron skillets.

I've had a pan go "rancid" on me before, but no big deal. Burn it off and start over. Even a little rust won't hurt these things. You can almost always save a cast iron skillet.

That conditioner is a good idea though, and does make sense for storage or infrequent use.

 

my scout troop cooks on several cast iron skillets/griddles and dutch ovens, and i will stand by the camp chef conditioning agent, it has worked far better than any traditional oil the we have used. also, x2 on not washing with soap, but we wash ours at the end of the season with soap and water, then proceeed to re season before the start of next season, this routine hasn't failed us yet and ive been doing this for 2 years now