Cast iron skillets

Almost 50 years ago, Marge and I were married in Hyannis, Nebraska. One of our gifts from Marge's parents was a No. 7 cast iron Wagner skillet. It wasn't a new skillet, but it was one that had been and was being used. It was ready to fry bacon or a hamburger or a steak or an egg in. It was seasoned and ready. Great gift. Better than a new one.

Down through the years, we have tried the non-stick skillets with coatings that never come off. Ha! It does! How many of these non-stick wonders have been sold and how much of this Teflon or which wonder coating have we eaten? But that old No. 7 Wagner skillet looks as good now as it did 50 years ago.

Marge and I each have our favorite skillets when we cook. The sizes of the skillets are characterized by numbers from No. 2 through, say, No. 12. Larger ones are available, but they are usually two-handed skillets. Marge prefers a No. 7 or No. 8 or a No. 10. My go-to is a No. 12. My No. 12 is too big and heavy for Marge to handle by the single handle. All the skillets we use now are older "antiques."

Cast iron cookware is made by mixing together pig iron and steel and other chemicals to raise the level of carbon in the molten mixture, which is then poured into a mold made of sand. Once the metal has cooled, the sand mold is broken away from the newly cast piece of cookware, which leaves behind a brand new piece, but rough. These pieces of new cookware are then smoothed and made ready for their new owners. The smoother the cookware, the easier they are to cook on.

According to what I've read, the first use of cast iron cookware was in China back about 220 A.D. It wasn't until the 16th century that cast iron cookware became popular in Europe, which spread to America. One writer said that to settlers in the U.S., cast iron cookware was more valuable than gold. This popularity increased until in the 1900s, when non-stick cookware became the craze and popular.

There seems to be a resurgence of interest in the old ways and the use of cast iron cookware, which just makes sense. There are no coatings to wear off or to scratch, so it is really durable. You can fry in it or bake in it or go from the stove top burner into the oven. You can crank up the heat and sear a steak or a roast. Add some peanut oil and fry fish. Cast iron cookware comes in virtually all types of cookware from roasters to skillets with legs and lids to match. Some of the lids are made so you can add charcoal and bake in them.

It seems that those who use the old cast iron cookware are a little bit (a lot!) fanatical. Some say you simply can't ever use soap in them, none, nada. Marge and I do. We don't get the Ajax out and scrub away, but we use a little kitchen soap. We may use one of those metal scrub deals, but it doesn't hurt the cast iron. It's tough. But then we use our skillets daily.

Cast iron cookware needs to be seasoned, if you will. Some say to get it clean and then heat it up pretty hot and then wipe grease all over the inside of the cast iron. Some say to stick it in a 400 to 500 degree oven and then bake with grease smeared in it. Marge and I pretty much just use ours. We fry bacon in them or sausage or pork chops or pork steaks, which will season the cast iron. Marge has fried many a piece of pork or a good beef steak in ours and then made gravy in the same skillet. Or heat the skillet up until it's pretty hot, pour in some corn bread batter and then bake it. Lip smacking good.

Don't have a cast iron skillet? Get one or two!