Cast Iron Cookware

If you know me at all, you know that I love, love, love, traditional/antique cooking utensils.  Especially cast iron cookware.  There are many benefits of using this cookware. 

First of all, since the cookware contains iron, that is deposited in your food, which is a good thing.  Second, if seasoned correctly and cared for, your pots and skillets will be totally non-stick, without a scary Teflon coating.  I read somewhere the other day about teflon, and how when heated to 500 degrees (basically preheating on high heat) the fumes will kill an exotic bird, like a parrot.  Yuck.  (On a side note, I just hate teflon/non-stick pans because you have to use plastic or wooden utensils only.  It's a pain.)

Here are some pictures of some of the pieces I've collected over the years.

A Dutch Oven with Glass Lid.  If you ever purchase one of these, buy one with a lid.

A skillet.  I have a three of these.  The size is determined by a number on the back.

A griddle pan.  It's like a grill pan, but with no ridges.  I actually don't use this one a lot, because it is really old, and therefore made for an older stove with burners that are closer together.This is the back of it, by the way :)

A griddle and a corn stick pan.

My favorite piece, the muffin pan.  It makes 11 muffins, which I think is so quaint, and it makes THE BEST muffins and corn muffins ever in the history of the world.  They are always perfectly browned on top and bottom.  I love it!

Brands:

There are several different brands of cast iron cookware.  The most popular is probably Lodge, but I detest it, because their skillets come "pre-seasoned" and are impossible to season yourself.  I had a Lodge skillet that I sold because it never, ever, became non-stick, no matter how much I used it.

I recommend going to an antique store, flea market, or an auction, and buying either Griswold or Wagner pans.  They are the absolute best.  They'll say Griswold or Wagner-ware on the back.  If it doesn't, don't let anyone tell you that's what it is.  A real Griswold or Wagner piece will run $30-$50 dollars in an antique store, but you can find cheaper ones at auctions or flea markets.

Trust me, whatever you spend will be worth it.  Your great-grandchildren will still be using your pans. 

How to Season a Pan:

When you get the pan home, get a heavy-duty scrubber (I like the Brillo pads with soap in them) and scrub all the gunk off. (This is why Lodge pans are not that great; you can't ever get the store gunk off.)  If it looks pretty black, slick, and shiny, you can skip this.  If there is any rust or anything, you need to do this.

Turn your oven on to 400 degrees.  Coat your skillet with an ANIMAL FAT grease, such as bacon grease or lard.  Alternately, you can cook some bacon in the skillet, eat the bacon (yum!) and leave the grease.

Put it in the oven for about 10-15 minutes, until the grease is all melted.  Then, CAREFULLY, with paper towels or an old rag, get most of the grease out of the pan.  Leave a good coating on it.

Put the pan back in the oven at 200 degrees for several hours. I usually just leave it in there and forget about it all day. 

You are ready to use the pan!  It won't be instantly non-stick, you'll have to cook in it awhile.  I suggest cooking greasy foods at first in it to help the seasoning.

Care of Your Pans:

1.  After using, rinse with the hottest water your sink will produce.  You can use a scrubber, as long as it's not metal (like a Brillo pad).

2.  Let dry completely before storing.  This prevents rust.

3.  Do not ever, ever EVER use soap on your pans.  It will take off the seasoning.

4.  If you cook something acidic, like tomato sauce, and leave it in the pan too long, it may take off some of the seasoning.  Just season again, or cook something greasy next time you use it.

Enjoy your cast iron cookware! It lasts several lifetimes!

New Years Supper

It's a Southern tradition to eat two things on New Years.  First, is black-eyed peas, because they bring good luck in the new year.  Second is collard greens because they bring money in the new year.  I haven't gone without eating these two things on New Years Day as long as I can remember.  I was born in March, and by the next January, I was eating table food, so I'm sure I had my peas and greens as a 10 month old.

Usually we eat roast pork, or leg of lamb with our greens, but this year, I decided to do something a little different.  We had shrimp and grits, collard greens, and Texas caviar.  If you've never had Texas caviar, it's basically a dip made from black-eyed peas. 

If you THINK you don't like collards, I BEG you to try this recipe.  Most people do not know how to cook this gem of a vegetable.  They don't cook them long enough, and they add too much liquid.

Southern Collard Greens: 

You need to get a big bunch of collard greens. One large bunch serves about 4-6 people, depending on what else you're serving (and who'll eat them, of course!) Then, before you wash them, strip them of their stems and chop.  I usually roll them up like a big cigar and slice them.  Please, please don't leave the stems on.  They are just tough and gross.

Put the chopped greens in a sink full of cold water, swish them around a bunch, and then drain in a colander.

Then, in a big pot (I use a cast iron dutch oven) put about a tablespoon of either butter or bacon grease, and fry up some salt pork, or bacon at med-high heat.  We bought a half-pig this year, and I had some uncured bacon (basically side meat) and I used that.

Fry until crisp.

Then, put in your greens.  You'll have to put in a few at a time, and stir them up to wilt them.  If you put them all in the pot at the same time, you won't be able to stir.

Then you're going to put in the following:

• 1 1/2 cups of chicken stock (homemade or store bought, whatever)
  
• 1 1/2 tablespoons of sugar (I use a natural sweetener like sucanat or maple syrup)
• 1 1/2 tablespoons of vinegar
• Salt to taste (my chicken stock is homemade, and unsalted, so I used about 2 tsp.)
  
• Red pepper flakes (just sprinkle on to taste; I probably used about 1/4 tsp or a little more)

Stir all that up and put the lid on.  Let cook on med-med/low heat for about 30-45 minutes.  When the greens are dark green, tender, and they've absorbed most of the liquid, they're done.  My hubby eats these with extra vinegar on the side.

 

Texas Caviar:

This recipe is a Rachael Ray, and I thought it was "delish."  I found the BEST tortilla chips to serve with this.  They came from Sam's Club, and they're whole grain, organic, and yummy!

You need:

• 4 cups cooked black-eyed peas, drained and cooled (I used a frozen bag, and cooked them about 30 minutes in about an inch of water.)
  
• 1 cup diced yellow onion
• 1 cup diced red onion (I used all yellow onion; just a big one)
  
• 1 green or red bell pepper, diced
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 1 tablespoon Cajun seasoning
• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 1/3 cup red wine vinegar
• 1 teaspoon black pepper

You just mix everything together and then put in the fridge for 12 hours, or until you get tired of waiting, and open the chips. :)

Shrimp and Grits: 

This is really a breakfast food, but we always it for supper, ha ha.

First, you need to cook some delicious, creamy grits.  Now, usually, grits are just made with water, but these are outstanding. Ever since I found this recipe, I make grits this way.

You need:

2 cups of water

2 tablespoons butter

1/2 cup grits

1/2 tsp salt

1 cup half and half or cream, divided

1/2 cup cheddar cheese, shredded

Boil the water and butter.  Add the grits and salt.  Cook on med-low heat, until they're creamy, and absorbed a lot of the water, about 10 minutes.  Then add 1/2 cup half and half, and cook 7-10 more minutes.  Add last 1/2 cup half and half and cook until done (about 5-7 minutes).

 

(Isn't this measuring cup pretty?  It's depression glass!)

Add cheese and stir until all melted.

 

Shrimp with Gravy:
You need one pound of shrimp for this.  I used the frozen, pre-peeled and deveined kind (DON'T get the pre-cooked kind-blech!) and defrosted them by putting them in a colander set in a bowl of water for about 15 minutes.  Pat them dry REALLY well after this.

If you have access to really good, fresh shrimp, then I am really jealous.

Put the shrimp in a bowl with:
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1/4 tsp ground red pepper
1 tsp salt
Set aside.

Then fry up 1/4 cup onion and 1/3 red or green bell peppers with about 3T bacon grease (it really is better with the bacon grease!)

Add 2 tablespoons of flour to make a roux.  Let the mixture get golden brown.

 

Next, add 3/4 chicken stock and your shrimp mixture.

Cook just until shrimp are pink, and gravy is thickened.  If it's too thick, you can add a little more stock.  Season to taste with salt and pepper, and serve over grits.

We were two happy customers, let me tell ya!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!!!!!