Kitchen tool of the month: Iron Skillet
The iron skillet is one of my most used items in the kitchen. I use it for everything from searing meats to baking corn bread.
They require special maintenance. Mainly avoiding soap, scrubbing it hard occasionally, and coating it with a thin oil layer to keep it waterproof (keep it from rusting). It is heavy and takes a little getting used to, but it's great for cooking meats. The heat capacity and retention qualities are great. They can get very hot on the stove and they stay hot when food goes on it, allowing meat to sear. Just watch the smokiness.
Baking tip: I like to make corn bread, banana bread, pizza and other things using a skillet instead of a pan. I like to get it very hot on the stove, place the food on and then place in a pre-heated oven. This helps the cooking process and allows for nice crunchy crusts.
Here's more info on cast iron skillets
They are fairly affordable. I like cooking large cuts so I would buy a 12 in or 15 in skillet. It's a long term investment; it's not uncommon to see 100 year old skillets in excellent shape.
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