Cooking with cast iron...

[user328]

There's no shortage of eggs in the US, ya tit.

[Mister Obvious]

Yeah the egg thing has kinda blown over, even though there are a lot of reasons to be concerned about the supply re: various contaminants.

The thing about vaxxing the chickens really turned me the fuck off though...

I was already turned off chicken recently cuz I've been reading the D'Adamo blood type diet body of work (that's why I keep referencing it)...

https://www.4yourtype.com

The foods they class as "not beneficial" to my blood type actually do make me feel like shit, and that's why I believe the research is right on the money, for the most part. There are a few things I don't agree with, but over all, the foods that are not recommended make sense to me because of how they make me feel after I eat them.

For example, I got rid of white rice in my diet recently and am only eating brown rice, and my energy never tanks after I eat a meal with rice anymore. Which is kind of important because it's something I eat like 3-5 times per week. Brown rice energizes me, white rice makes me tired.

[user328]

Are you type O, MO?

[Mister Obvious]

I'm B+ and the foods on these lists line up for me...

https://doc.vortala.com/childsites/uploa...dtypeB.pdf

Just Google your blood type and D'Adamo and look for the same kinda file or webpage that will list all the foods.

[user328]

I looked it up on their site. Meat is my friend. But I already knew that.

[Mister Obvious]

Heck yeah man, and the specific types of meat is really central.

The only highly recommended meat for my type that is even really accessible through a regular grocery store would be lamb.

Probably worth just ordering it online...

I want some bison and venison burgers.

[Mister Obvious]

I'm gonna bake some spelt bread.

All the good stuff is expensive, that's why they have us eating stripped down crap like white flour, no offense.

Like I was saying in the cracker thread, I'm gonna be making hardtack with the purpose of getting that indefinite shelf life out of it, but the only way to do that is to use plain white flour.

The hardtack made with spelt wouldn't last as long, but one type of hardtack will be for long storage and the other type will be just to eat regularly.

[Mister Obvious]

I love bread, crackers, hardtack...

Just seeing them brings me joy, let alone eating them.

Maybe the desire to eat hardtack seems strange, but I think smashing it into a few pieces and soaking it in soup sounds great.

I'm gonna do it like the soldiers used to back in the day, put it in a bag and smash it with a rifle butt.

[user328]

I've been seeing bison meat in the stores around here.

I bought some Pepperidge Farms butter cookies yesterday that have an unusual texture reminiscent of a cross between cookie and cracker. The package suggests using them in banana pudding instead of vanilla wafers. I may have to try that sometime.

[NotAllowed]

I would love a Bison steak here you can only really get water buffalo steaks which are ok.
But when I traveled to the US bison steaks are yum the flavor mmmm im sure they breed them here but good luck finding it.

[Mister Obvious]

I am gonna be making pizza in my cast iron at some point.

My second ever experience with cast iron was so freaking amazing, I am just blown away by how incredible cast iron is.

I used both the 8 inch and the 9 inch pan to make pizza.

PERFECT sizes.

Anything bigger than the 9 inch pan would have been too heavy for me.

These pizzas were yeast free, flatbread style pizzas.

It was incredibly fulfilling to make pizza from scratch. I've never experienced anything like it before.

I started out following a recipe, but then I just winged it.

So I preheated the oven to 375 to let the pans heat up...

Then I pulled the pans out and rubbed some grapeseed oil into 'em, put them back in the oven and went up to 450.

The dough consisted of flour (all purpose), baking powder, salt, and I sprinkled in some oregano and shredded cheddar cheese. I kneaded the dough, covered the mixing bowl, and let it sit for about 10 minutes while I chopped up the toppings.

Toppings were chopped sweet peppers (orange, yellow, red) and fresh mushrooms. And pepperoni.

Once the pans were heated and the dough was ready, I pulled the pans out, separated the dough into two balls, and I mushed the dough into a pizza shape in each pan.

I put the pans/dough back in the oven for 4 mins. to ensure the dough would be cooked through at the end of the whole process.

Then I pulled them back out, coated the dough with melted butter, and put them back in the oven for ~2 minutes.

I opted for pesto instead of tomato sauce, and it was DELICIOUS.

So I got the pans out, and set the oven for 475...

Coated the dough in pesto, sprinkled on mozzarella, applied the toppings, sprinkled on more mozzarella, and popped 'em back in the oven for ~15 minutes...

https://imgur.com/a/Jp8XBR3

I included a pic of the bottom of one of the pizzas just to show how perfectly the cast iron finishes everything.

Cleanup of the pans was literally the easiest thing I've EVER done...

I just cleaned out each pan with the lint-free cloth, scraped off any residual crumbs with a wooden spoon, put a little oil in each pan and rubbed them down real good, then put them back in the oven to do a mini re-season while cooling down with the oven.

I love cast iron, nothing else even comes close. Absolutely amazing experience, 10/10 would recommend.

[Mister Obvious]

I'm eating it as I type this. Perfectly crispy. Amazing flavor.

[Mister Obvious]

I think cast iron does 90% of the work.

For real.

I think you could take someone who has never cooked before and if they used cast iron, you'd think they were a pro chef.

That's how good cast iron is.

[user328]

I've been wanting to make a homemade pizza. I've made a couple with pita bread, but it's not the same.

Never thought about making one in a skillet.

I think nine inches is about the largest skillet I can handle anymore. The ten inch one is too heavy for me to hold up while I'm cleaning it without hurting my wrist.

[Guest]

Damn that pizza looks awesome. I've never tried baking anything in cast iron... usually just make hamburgers and lamb shoulder chops and stir fry type stuff. The meat usually sticks, as do eggs sometimes. I use water, I have to scrub... never soap though. This thread reminded me that I'm lax with the oil after drying part, maybe that's the problem.

[Guest]

I know they're supposed to last forever, but I'm on my second one. The first was good for awhile but I don't think I ever seasoned it properly, and it always seemed a little sketchy... my mom gave it to me after winning it in some kind of raffle at a casino in Detroit.
It had no brand name on it, just a plain black skillet... probably made in China. It eventually got all these unending black flakes and turned to shit, so I got a pre-seasoned Lodge... I remember being surprised it was only like 20 bucks.
I don't find them easier than teflon or whatever, but they do look cooler and cook things better. Can definitely tell the difference in texture and flavor with the cast iron.

[Mister Obvious]

If I was gonna recommend only one pan, it'd be the 9 inch Lodge skillet. SO inexpensive, especially for being made in the USA.

The problem with getting China cast iron is that it's usually made from engine blocks and coated with paint...

https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong...-cast-iron

Lodge's pre-seasoning is natural, and it's accepted by cast iron snobs for any newer pans they get, but hardcore cast iron collectors tend to prefer antique cast iron.

Anyway, I don't know how long these pans will ultimately last. I think they could last for decades if they're never allowed to get wet and are diligently oiled after use.

One main trick to keeping the pan in good shape is definitely cleaning it while it's still hot. This isn't a problem for me at all because I have always immediately cleaned the dishes before even sitting down to eat.

I just keep hold of the pan with my handle pot holder and use a fairly large lint-free cotton cloth to rub down the pan while it's still hot. That big cloth will protect you from getting burnt by the pan.

You can scrape off any bits with your fingernail through the cloth. Then I shake the crumbs off the cloth and it's usually still clean enough to use that same cloth to apply the oil, rub it in and put the pan back on heat for a bit, whether it's in the oven or on the stovetop.

[Guest]

I remember being surprised it was only like 20 bucks.

As in, I'd always thought they were these fancy higher end devices, since the TV foodists and culinary types usually rave about them. I guess they have expensive ones, but the Lodge from Walmart seems pretty damn solid. And yeah the cleaning while it's hot is key.

The problem with getting China cast iron is that it's usually made from engine blocks and coated with paint...

Yikes

[Mister Obvious]

As in, I'd always thought they were these fancy higher end devices, since the TV foodists and culinary types usually rave about them. I guess they have expensive ones, but the Lodge from Walmart seems pretty damn solid. And yeah the cleaning while it's hot is key.

Same, I would have figured it'd be like $50 or some shit for a 9 inch pan before I started looking into all this.

I was pleasantly surprised.

Bigger cast iron does get expensive though.

[user328]

You can't go wrong with Lodge. The only thing I don't like about them is the bumps from the sand casting. It's a little pointless to put that factory seasoning coat on a bumpy skillet.

My dad has always made cornbread in a skillet. He has a small one exclusively for that purpose.