2 weeks Ago By [email protected] (Matt Bruce)
The hiss of steam sizzling off a hot cast iron skillet is an appetizing sound for any good cook. One tantalizing enough to conjure up salivating thoughts of fried chicken wings or pan-seared steaks. In the workshop of cooking, the cast iron skillet is an all-purpose instrument in the tool chest suitable for every job from frying pork chops to baking fruit pies, scrambling eggs or .
It's good on stovetops and gas ranges and is famously effective for flame broiling over campfires. It's a simple, reliable utility pan that's versatile and durable enough to withstand a beating. In fact, cast iron skillets have been known , that they're often passed down to surviving relatives as heirlooms for generations.
But while it's a trusty go-to for a host of occasions, not all cast iron skillets are created equally. Some are too small, some are way too big. But if you find one that's just the right size, you can expect a thoroughly cooked meal that's caramelized through and through.
Cast iron skillets are heavy pieces of cookware that are unparalleled in capturing and retaining heat. It takes a little longer to warm them up, but once these skillets get going, they stay hotter longer than pans with less density. And those searing temps allows them to capture more heat to imbue that much more flavor into your vittles.
Crowd size matters when picking the perfect cast iron skillet The first rule of thumb when considering the is to figure out how many people you're cooking for. A 10-inch fry pan works for most meals if it's just you and one to two other people enjoying a quiet meal at home. But a cast iron that's 12-inches round is ideal for families of four because it allows you to fit more portions in the pan.
It will also work in a pinch for larger gatherings, but the 15-incher is the answer when doing a fish fry or seafood broil for parties. A big skillet can even stand in for electric pans if you're cooking up a sizeable Sunday breakfast. You can put four silver-dollar pancakes side by side on an oversized cast iron and griddle them simultaneously to save yourself some time.
Just be sure to put the majority of the food in the center of the pan where the temperature is the hottest as larger skillets have trouble cooking evenly. As a precaution, try not to go smaller than eight inches when buying cast iron skillets. A pan that size is good if you're cooking for yourself, but anything smaller really limits you to using it for scrambling eggs or baking a few cookies.
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