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Tracy L. Barr
Antwon Brinson
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Published:
October 31, 2003

Cast-Iron Cooking For Dummies

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Overview

Become a cast-iron chef, thanks to this friendly Dummies guide

Cast-Iron Cooking For Dummies will teach you everything you need to know to start using the classic cookware that chefs have loved for thousands of years. You’ll learn how to pick the right cast iron tools for your needs, maintain your cookware, and cook foods to perfection. This book is also packed with healthy, diverse, and delicious recipes for meat, fish, stir-fry, and beyond. Cast-iron cookware is versatile, hardy, economical, and great at retaining heat. Well-seasoned cast iron can reduce the need for cooking oil and even makes food taste better. This easy-to-use guide comes complete with color photos and a guide to the best brands.

  • Select the right cast-iron cookware for your daily needs
  • Learn to properly season and maintain your cast-iron
  • Master cooking techniques using versatile, professional cookware
  • Find great recipes that will taste even better when you cook them with cast-iron

This book is an excellent choice for home cooks, beginners, semi-pro cooks, professional cooks, campers, and outdoor cooks—basically anyone looking to cook with cast-iron!

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About The Author

Antwon Brinson is an accom­plished chef and entrepreneur. He is the visionary behind Culinary Concepts AB, a purpose-driven venture committed to empowering individuals through the art of cooking. Through his company, he offers programs like the Phoenix program, dedicated to assisting inmates in their preparation for successful culinary careers. Chef Antwon displays his impressive culinary skills in the HBO Max program, “The Big Brunch.”

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cast-iron cooking for dummies

CHEAT SHEET

This Cheat Sheet is your guide through the world of cooking with cast iron. Whether you’re an experienced cook or just starting out, you can find something valuable here, ranging from what to look for when adding cast iron to your kitchen, expert advice on using spices and herbs effectively, handy substitutes for those moments when a few ingredients might be missing from your pantry, and even some measurement conversions.
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To make aebleskiver (or Danish pancake balls), you need a specialty cast-iron pan (called either a Danish cake pan, aebleskiver pan, or munk pan). Danish pancake balls make a wonderful start to any morning. Preparation time: 10 minutes Cooking time: 2 to 3 minutes Yield: 4 dozen balls 2 cups all-purpose flour 2 tablespoons sugar 1 teaspoon baking soda 1 teaspoon cardamom 3/4 teaspoon salt 3 eggs 2 tablespoons butter 1 cup sour cream 2/3 cup milk 2 tablespoons melted butter or vegetable oil for greasing wells Set the aebleskiver pan on the stove burner on medium-low heat.
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This blueberry cobbler uses French bread, which makes the best French toast (and therefore the best blueberry French toast cobbler), but it isn’t the only kind of bread you can use. If you don’t have French bread, substitute any bread with solid texture. Preparation time: 1 hour 10 minutes Cooking time: 25 minutes Yield: 8 servings 1 loaf French bread 5 eggs 3/4 cup sugar 1/4 teaspoon baking powder 1 teaspoon vanilla 3/4 cup milk 3 tablespoon butter 4 3/4 cups blueberries 1 teaspoon cinnamon 1 teaspoon cornstarch Confectioners’ sugar Slice the bread into slices 3/4-inch thick.
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Hot off the griddle, these moist and delicious buttermilk pancakes can stir up memories of days gone by. You can serve these buttermilk pancakes with any type of syrup you like or maybe just some sliced fresh fruit. Credit: Digital Vision/Getty Images Preparation time: 5 minutes Cooking time: 1 to 2 minutes per side Yield: 8 pancakes 1 egg 1 cup buttermilk 2 tablespoons vegetable oil 1 scant cup all-purpose flour 1/2 tablespoon sugar 1 teaspoon baking powder 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 1/2 teaspoon salt Heat a cast-iron griddle to medium-high heat.
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This Cheat Sheet is your guide through the world of cooking with cast iron. Whether you’re an experienced cook or just starting out, you can find something valuable here, ranging from what to look for when adding cast iron to your kitchen, expert advice on using spices and herbs effectively, handy substitutes for those moments when a few ingredients might be missing from your pantry, and even some measurement conversions.
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You’re elbow-deep in a recipe specially chosen for your new cast-iron pan and discover you’re missing a key ingredient. It’s a common scenario — you don’t always have exactly what a recipe calls for or the time to run to the store to get it. The following table shows substitutions you can use in a pinch: What
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Country ham and red-eye gravy is a traditional part of a Southern breakfast, often served with biscuits and grits. This red-eye gravy served with ham has been a favorite breakfast food for over a hundred years. Preparation time: 5 minutes Cooking time: 10 minutes Yield: 2 to 3 servings 1/2 tablespoon bacon drippings 3 slices country ham Pinch or two of sugar 1/3 cup brewed black coffee 1/2 cup water Hot biscuits or grits, for serving Heat the bacon drippings in a 12-inch cast-iron skillet over medium heat.
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What’s a pork roast? Just about any unsliced cut from the hog. For this recipe made in a Dutch oven, get a loin-end pork roast. If you prefer a boneless cut, use center-cut pork roast. Preparation time: 10 minutes Cooking time: About 3 hours Yield: 12 servings 5-pound pork roast 3 cloves garlic 2 teaspoons salt 1/2 tablespoon pepper 3 bay leaves 1/2 cup cider vinegar 1 teaspoon dried thyme Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
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When you adjust recipes as you cook with cast iron or other types of cookware, it helps to know measurement equivalents so that you can divide or double ingredients accurately. The following table lists some measurement equivalents: This Equals This 3 teaspoons 1 tablespoon 1 tablespoon 3 teaspoons 4 tablespo
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This recipe for Jam Cake with Old-Time Icing was handed down from generation to generation (as so many cast-iron recipes are). The ingredient list calls for blackberry jam, but you can use whatever flavor you have on hand. The icing (recipe below) uses whole milk and butter, which creates a subtly rich finish for the cake.
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Marsala is a type of wine originating in Marsala, Sicily. In Chicken Marsala, this wine is a key ingredient in the sauce, hence the chicken dish’s name. Marsala wine comes in two types: sweet and dry. You can use either one, but the sweet version offers a bit more depth and a rounder finish to the flavor. Preparation time: 10 minutes Cooking time: 10 minutes Yield: 4 servings 4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves 4 tablespoons butter 1/2 teaspoon salt Pepper 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice 1/2 cup sweet or dry Marsala wine 1/2 cup chicken broth 1/2 pound mushrooms, sliced Fresh parsley for garnish (optional) Pound the chicken pieces between two pieces of wax paper with a mallet until 1/4-inch thick.
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Fried chicken is delicious and easy to make in a cast-iron skillet. Cast-irons skillets are especially good for frying chicken (you can even find some cast-iron skillets called “chicken fryers”). Get your cast-iron skillet out and ready to fry some chicken: Wash the chicken pieces. Pat them dry after you rinse them.
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Cast iron pots and pans can last for generations, unlike other types of cookware. But you do need to take care of your cast-iron cookware because it isn’t indestructible. Follow certain cast-iron-care rules, and your heirs will be fighting over who gets your glorious pans. Reseason after each use. Each time you clean your cast iron, you remove a little seasoning.
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Seasoning cast iron is simple and essential. A well-seasoned cast-iron pan provides a cooking surface manufactured, non-stick coatings can only dream about. To season your cast-iron cookware, follow these steps: Wash the new pan with soap and water to remove protective coating. Wipe the thin layer of vegetable oil on all the pan surfaces, including the sides, handle, lid, and so on.
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Cast-iron pans that aren’t preseasoned come from the factory with a protective coating. To season your cast iron, you need to wash the coating off and then get to seasoning. The cast-iron seasoning process is pretty simple: Scrub the pan using hot water, a mild dish detergent or soap, and a stiff-bristled (not wire) brush or a scouring pad (not steel wool).
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Before you cook with cast-iron pans, you have to shop for cast-iron pans. You may find your pots at a garage sale, farm auction, or antique store, but no matter where you find your cast iron, pay attention to the following features: Uniform thickness of sides and bottom with no dips and valleys. Also avoid pieces that are warped.
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Food Prep Tools

Hushpuppies
Hushpuppies
Hushpuppies started as delicious cornmeal fritters called croquettes de maise. The name hushpuppy came about when an old Creole cook was frying a batch of catfish and croquettes. His hungry dogs began to howl in anticipation of a chance to savor some of the catfish. The innovative Creole instead tossed a few of the croquettes de maise to the dogs and yelled, “Hush, puppies!
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Gumbos are a Creole specialty. Thick like stew, gumbos traditionally include seafood, okra, as well as other vegetables, such as tomato and onion, and meat, chicken, sausage, and ham — or any combination of these ingredients. This gumbo has a lot of seafood in it, but it contains a variety of other tasty ingredients, too.
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Use a zester or hand grater to get the orange and lemon peel that you need for this fajita marinade. You can use fajita marinade on beef, pork, or chicken to make a tasty Mexican meal. Preparation time: 5 minutes Chilling time: Up to 2 hours Yield: Enough for 4 fajitas 1 large orange 1 lemon 1 clove garlic 3 tablespoons butter 1/4 cup pineapple juice 1/4 cup white wine 1 to 2 tablespoons soy sauce 1 teaspoon pepper 1 dried chile, left whole Zest 1 tablespoon of the peel from the orange and 2 teaspoons of the peel from the lemon.
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A summertime fairground favorite, you can make funnel cakes at home. Top your funnel cakes with cinnamon-sugar, which this recipe specifies, or confectioners’ sugar, fruit, and just about anything else you feel like putting on top. They’re even delicious served plain. Preparation time: 10 minutes Cooking time: 2 minutes per cake Yield: 8 to 10 cakes 3/4 cup confectioners’ sugar, sifted 1 teaspoon cinnamon 2/3 cup pecans 2 1/2 cups self-rising flour 1/4 cup sugar 1 2/3 cup milk 2 eggs 1/2 teaspoon vanilla Vegetable oil for frying Sift the confectioners’ sugar into a small bowl.
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Beef pot roast gets a bad rap as being tough, dry, and stringy. This recipe gives you the secret to a tender, fall-apart-at-the-touch-of-a-fork pot roast. First, select a roast that has consistent marbling. Second, braise it for a long time at a low temperature. Preparation time: 30 minutes Cooking time: 3 to 3 1/2 hours Yield: 8 to 10 servings 5 to 6 pound shoulder roast or chuck roast Salt and pepper Garlic salt 1 to 2 tablespoons vegetable oil 2 to 3 beef bouillon cubes 2 medium onions 1 rib celery without top Fresh parsley 1 bay leaf 4 carrots 5 to 6 medium potatoes Rub the roast with salt, pepper, and garlic salt.
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The sugar in this savory dill bread recipe isn’t strictly for taste; it actually affects how your loaf of dill bread rises. This little bit of added sugar gives the yeast more sugar to act on, creating more rise. Preparation time: 2 to 3 hours, including rising time Cooking time: 40 to 50 minutes Yield: 12 to 14 servings 1 package yeast 1/4 cup warm water 1 cup 4-percent milkfat cottage cheese 2 tablespoons sugar 1 tablespoon butter 1 teaspoon salt 1 egg 1 tablespoon dried dill weed 1/4 teaspoon soda 1 tablespoon instant onion 2 1/2 cups bread flour Butter for topping Kosher salt for topping Combine the yeast with the water in a bowl large enough to hold all the ingredients when they double in size.
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Chowders are thick, chunky soups. Traditionally, all chowders included seafood — and this seafood chowder recipe holds true to the original chowders: Seafood is its main ingredient. In addition to clams, it includes mussels, oysters, and salmon. Preparation time: 20 minutes Cooking time: 45 minutes Yield: 6 to 8 servings 1/4 cup unsalted butter 2 medium onions 1 bunch celery 3 to 4 medium carrots 1 large potato 1 cup sliced mushrooms 1 cup white wine 4 cups clam juice Juice reserved from oysters 1 sprig fresh thyme Fresh parsley 1 can (6 1/2 ounces) chopped clams 8 ounces shucked oysters, or 1 jar (8 ounces) shucked oysters 8 ounces mussels in shell 8 ounces salmon fillets Salt and pepper 1 cup heavy cream Dice the onions, celery, carrots, and potatoes.
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You can cook this seafood skillet dish in a single skillet, as in this recipe, or you can cook each seafood serving in its own single-serving skillet. Using individual skillets requires a little more work and slightly more clean up, but you can take the hot skillets straight to the table for each diner. Preparation time: 15 minutes Cooking time: 35 minutes Yield: 4 servings 1 egg 1/2 cup dry breadcrumbs dash Louisiana-style hot sauce 1 teaspoon lemon juice 1/2 cup heavy cream 1 medium onion 1 bunch celery 1 tablespoon vegetable oil, or butter 4 flounder fillets (or other thin, flaky white fish) 8 large shrimp 8 sea scallops 1/2 cup cracker crumbs 2 teaspoons butter 1 lemon Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.
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The fact that your cast-iron cookware is seasoned doesn’t mean that it imparts any flavor — far from it. However, you can change the taste of a dish you cook in cast iron — or any pot or pan — with herbs and spices. The following list recommends some fun spices and herbs that introduce some extra flavor in the accompanying foods.
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Okra is technically a fruit, but that doesn’t stop people from preparing, cooking, and serving it as a vegetable. This stir-fried okra recipe includes gingerroot, which adds a spicy dimension. Preparation time: 5 minutes Cooking time: 7 to 10 minutes Yield: 6 servings 1 1/2 pounds fresh okra 1 to 2 tablespoons olive oil 1 teaspoon yellow mustard seeds 2 garlic cloves 1 piece fresh gingerroot 1 onion 2 fresh tomatoes 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin 1 teaspoon turmeric Salt Wash the okra and cut it into 3/4-inch diagonal slices.
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You can find cast-iron cookware in a variety of shapes and sizes. The most popular cast-iron pieces are skillets and Dutch ovens, but you can find all sorts of other basic cast-iron pans and pots, too: Skillets: Cast-iron skillets come in a variety of sizes, from very small (approximately 6 inches in diameter,) to very large (over 15 inches in diameter).
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