Even a really well-seasoned pan is more apt to take on flavor than a stainless steel or nonstick pan, especially since we don't recommend cleaning a nonstick skillet with soap for risk of stripping the seasoning. Be Aware that a Cast-Iron Surface Takes on FlavorsĪ cast-iron pan, especially when it's straight out of the box and hasn't been through several rounds of seasoning, has a porous surface that will take on flavor. But if you're making a slow-simmered Sunday sauce or bolognese, use an enamel-lined Dutch oven instead of your cast-iron skillet. Just finishing pan-fried chicken cutlets with a spritz of lemon juice? Should be fine. To preserve it, avoid cooking acidic foods in your cast-iron pan for longer than a few minutes, or letting acidic foods sit in the pan for a while after cooking. The seasoned coating on a cast-iron pan is the layer of polymerized fat that comes from heating fat on the pan's surface, and it can eventually make the pan naturally nonstick. The second reason is that acid can cause the seasoning on a cast-iron pan to break down. (The good news is that America's Test Kitchen found after tasting tomato sauce at 15-minute increments while it stewed in a cast-iron skillet that the metallic flavor only started to come through after 30 minutes of cooking.) While perfectly safe to consume, these metal flavors can be unpleasant. You should avoid cooking acidic sauces in cast-iron pans for two reasons: first, the acid loosens trace amounts of molecules from the metal that can then leach into your foods, imparting a metallic flavor. I would stew tomato sauces in my cast-iron Dutch oven for prolonged periods, deglaze my skillet with a pop of vinegar, or add lemon juice to foods while they were still hot on the skillet. Avoid Cooking Acidic Foods in Cast-Iron PansĪs mentioned above, this was my central mistake. But to help you avoid my mistake, here are some tips about what not to cook in cast-iron cookware: 1. And it's true that it's a kitchen workhouse, especially when it's properly cared for. In my defense, I loved my cast-iron pan and wanted to use it for everything. It was only when I made tomato-based recipes, or poured vinegar into my skillet, or added lemon juice that this would happen. Suddenly, I saw the pattern I had been totally oblivious to before. It was only after I brought the problem up in a meeting at Epi that I learned the reason: you're not supposed to cook acidic food in cast-iron pans. The Best Cast-Iron Skillets: Tested and Reviewed
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