My Passion for Cast Iron

I only cook with cast iron. Period. The reason is simple – it cooks better. There is nothing better that having that seasoned flavor built in that comes from cooking many dishes (if not a little bacon grease).

It all started with my great-grandmother, Emma Fisher. She had an antique set of cast iron skillets which I inherited. When I brought them home, I was originally going to keep them aside as an heirloom, but it wasn't long before they were cooking up bacon, cornbread and other classic Americana dishes. I was hooked.

But I quickly found out cooking an egg in a cast iron skillet is next to impossible. Sure you can fry it in bacon grease, but that's not my thing. So I relegated my scrambled eggs to the old "stir two eggs in a bowl and nuke it in the microwave for 2 minutes" trick. "Nuked Eggs and Pan Fried Bacon", not exactly something you'd see on The Cracker Barrel menu, is it?

That's when I saw the new generation of cast iron cookware, with the enamel coated interior and the exterior available in another color besides black. So I ordered a set and after six months of constant use, I have not one complaint. After you season the cast iron (a 50/50 solution of EVOO and VegOil baking for an hour or so is excellent) it's ready for anything you throw at it – chilis, casseroles, bacon, even a fried egg.

I made my grandpa bacon and eggs in my cast iron skillet and his reply was, "In my 86 years, those are the best eggs I've ever had". It's easy to see why, slow heat and a seasoned surface lets the flavors seep out instead of being "flashed out" as can happen with other styles of cookware. It's your choice, but mine (and a growing number or others) prefer the new cast iron for these reasons.

Cast iron's advantage is also its downfall, it's heavy. Its dense metal construction is the very thing that can help it stay hot (or cold – freeze a cast iron pot and use it for salad or cold side dish for your next party and you'll be amazed how long it stays cool). But a filled 5 quart heavy cast iron pot can be cumbersome. So I understand why some will shy away from it.

But, if you are considering buying cast iron, I will advise you to only buy cast iron that comes with an all-metal construction. Here's why: I love to take my pots and skillets from stove top to the oven to slow roast while cooking, and you can't do that with pots that come with plastic or rubber handles (unless they're rated for 500°+). It's a great method to mix your chili recipe then put it in the oven as it gives the dish heat from all directions, not just the bottom. Doing this really releases the flavors and prevents your dish from being burnt on the bottom.

Cleanup is as simple as a paper towel to wipe out the loose stuff. And that, friends, may just be the best part.

So go ahead, break out your grandma's (or great-grandma's) cast iron, season it and make some classic Southern cornbread, fry up some bacon or fry up a pork chop or two and I think you'll start to get your own passion for cast iron cooking as well. Lemme know how it goes.