We’re All Iron Chefs in Texas
It was when I was talking to our cover boy, Buffalo Gap Ranch owner Tom Perini, about frying chicken, that I realized something: The common denominator in a good half of the dishes we feature in our April cover story, “Cook Like a Texan,” is a cast-iron vessel.
Think about it: If you own one – and of course you own one – you would definitely use a cast-iron skillet to fry chicken, catfish, and CFS. You could cook migas and enchiladas in it too. And while you would never do tamales or brisket on cast-iron, you could broil a ribeye or some jalapeño dove poppers on a skillet if you didn’t have a grill handy.
The photo above comes from chili champion Christine Knight, who provided the Big Kahuna Chili recipe for the April issue. Say Knight:
My treasured cast iron is the same cast iron my Granny, Odessa Mickey Monroe, used to make EVERYTHING in. My Granny Passed it to my Mom who used it for 15+ years and my Mom passed it along to me and my husband about 10 years ago.
We don’t actually know, but we think my Granny’s cast Iron is circa 1950′s. I myself don’t actually cook much in it, but I fondly recall beans, cornbread, chili and the chocolate icing for Granny’s sheet cake all coming out of that iron skillet!
Does your cast iron have a story? How long have you had it? What do you cook in it? Any special seasoning or cleaning tricks? Chime in with a comment.
George says:
I have a 7yr old Lodge that I received as a gift. If i could only keep one piece of cookware, this would be it. I cook everything I can in it. Sometimes it sits on my stovetop for days at a time. My wife’s favorite is seared steaks with red wine pan sauce.
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Sherry says:
I own three large cast iron frying pans, two small ones, and a dutch oven. I am a good Southern cook and really don’t think I can cook without my cast iron. I know, I know, everyone says not to wash cast iron but I always wash and dry my cast iron just like any other pot or pan. We surely couldn’t have gotten away with not washing the cast irons in my mama’s house and I feel the same. Some of my pans were hers, I inherited one, and bought the old dutch oven (with a handmade bail handle) at a flea market.
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