Featured image: Shannon Rollins
Cast iron cookware is back.
Similar to home chefs that are resurrecting the old-timey practice of baking sourdough from scratch via cottage core and other aesthetic-driven lifestyle trends, more people today are turning to cast iron for the nostalgia factor. Simply scroll through Instagram, and you’ll discover a catalogue of gorgeously restored cast iron skillets set before cozy backdrops of Southern style kitchens—proving the cookware’s resurgence in the cultural zeitgeist.
But a desire for nostalgic flavors isn’t the only reason cast iron cookware is making a comeback. Many consumers now know about the dangers of forever chemicals found on their nonstick cookware, while looking for a safer, healthier alternative for their families. This was why Ashley L. Jones, author of Modern Cast Iron: The Complete Guide to Selecting, Seasoning, Cooking, and More, first picked up a cast iron skillet: she was worried about the chemicals leeching into her food.
“With a young child in the house at the time and hearing about pet birds dying from Teflon Toxicosis—people too were developing flu-like symptoms while cooking—that is what really jump started me into returning to cast iron,” she says.
Today, more companies say they have stopped using certain chemicals in their cookware, but many people still prefer their trusty cast iron. “Companies still use chemicals in the same family as Teflon, and there’s no research showing the long-term effects of it,” says Jones. “I just said, ‘forget it, I’m getting rid of all the nonstick cookware in my house.’”
Perhaps it’s this feeling of reliability in cast iron that’s made “Cast Iron Cowboy,” a new frontier cooking series starring YouTube phenomenon Kent Rollins, such a splash hit. Rollins is a cowboy, storyteller, and modern-day Will Rogers whose chuckwagon feasts, storytelling and down-home charm have earned him nearly 7 million fans across his social platforms. And now, he’s set to share his cast iron wisdom with TV audiences on the Outdoor Channel. Season 1 of “Cast Iron Cowboy” has already performed so well with network executives that Season 2 has been filmed, with talks for a third season also underway. The series showcases working ranches across the United States, and viewers can expect a deep dive into the history and traditions of ranch life, which invariably includes cast iron cooking.
“Cast iron has been around forever. For over 150 years, families have handed down pieces from generation to generation. You’ll never hear about anyone fighting over Teflon, but they’ll fight over cast iron,” says Rollins. He sees the show as helping preserve the culture and traditions of a more Southern way of life. Assisted only by their trusty 1876 chuck wagon and wood-fired stove, Rollins and his wife Shannon offer viewers glimpses into making healthy oldtime noshes full of good flavor and a dash of good humor.
“In rural America, there was never a young person that had iron deficiency,” laughs Rollins. “With cast iron, you can absorb iron out of it and I think people are returning to cast iron for these health reasons and the simplicity of it. It makes great food and great flavor.”
Plus, there’s a practicality behind cast iron he hopes to convey in the show. “Cast iron holds heat well, so you can save money by turning the burner down. It’s multifunctional too. You can fry in it, bast in it, put it in the oven, and bake in it. If it is taken care of, cast iron will outlast all others.” Rollins is known to sauté up a steak in cast iron, whether it be wild game, sirloin, or tuna. He also likes to bake upside down pizzas in it or even bread pudding with whiskey cream sauce.
Cast Iron cookware can now be found in a wide range of stores from Aldi and Target to Walmart and TJ Maxx. Between 2011 and 2017, a dozen new makers of cast iron cookware came out all at once, says Jones, who also authored Skilletheads: A Guide to Collecting and Restoring Cast-Iron Cookware, which, along with detailing at-home restoration tips includes comparisons of cast iron manufacturers and their pans. “Around 2015, companies like Stargazer, Smithey, Field, and Austin Foundry Cookware realized there’s enough room in the marketplace,” she says.
But those interested in cooking with cast iron don’t have to invest in an expensive piece of equipment, say both Jones and Rollins. A Lodge skillet will set you up back just $25, and when properly taken care of, it will never need replacing.
“When I get a new piece of cast iron, that’s the only time it sees soap in my house,” says Rollins, who gives new cast iron a good scrubbing the first time he takes it home. “Then I put it on a heat source to completely dry it out.” He seasons his cast iron with grape seed oil because it has a high smoke point and bonds well to cast iron. Then he puts it in the oven at over 400 degrees for an hour to bake in the oil.
Rollins always keeps water boiling on the oven while cooking. “Once we’re done, we pour a little dab of hot water in the cast iron and use a wood scraper every time to scrape it clean.” Then, he dries off the cast iron and spreads a little dab of oil (but not too much!) across the pan to reseason it. People tend to do too much, he says.
“Number one thing about cast iron is that it’s been here forever,” explains Rollins. “If you take care of it, it’ll outlive us all. It’s not as hard to clean or season as people think.”
Find more Southern cooking basics here.
