Author Topic: Carbon steel pans... yes? no? maybe?  (Read 4151 times)

Larry Ashcraft

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Re: Carbon steel pans... yes? no? maybe?
« Reply #25 on: January 22, 2021, 12:25:35 PM »
Alton Brown had an interesting program on carbon steel a week or so ago on "Good Eats Reloaded".  He has gone over to using them over non-stick, which he says "Non-stick is a temporary condition, at best".

He found it amusing that cast iron is 3% carbon and carbon steel is 1% carbon.

K Frame

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Re: Carbon steel pans... yes? no? maybe?
« Reply #26 on: January 22, 2021, 01:43:17 PM »
Do you remember what the main body of the episode was? I'd like to take a look at that one.

And this pan just keeps getting better and better!
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Larry Ashcraft

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Re: Carbon steel pans... yes? no? maybe?
« Reply #27 on: January 23, 2021, 12:23:05 PM »
I don't remember for sure.  The old episode started out with (young) Alton using a non-stick pan, and (older) Alton stepping in and explaining why he doesn't use them anymore.  I googled "Alton Brown carbon steel" and got a few hits.  Might be his fried egg episode (one of them).

K Frame

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Re: Carbon steel pans... yes? no? maybe?
« Reply #28 on: January 23, 2021, 02:30:44 PM »
OK, I think I found it, looks like it's the  Egg Files Reload.I'll keep an eye out for it
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brimic

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Re: Carbon steel pans... yes? no? maybe?
« Reply #29 on: January 23, 2021, 03:55:58 PM »


He found it amusing that cast iron is 3% carbon and carbon steel is 1% carbon.

metallurgy is a type of sorcery that most people have little inclination for.
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K Frame

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Re: Carbon steel pans... yes? no? maybe?
« Reply #30 on: February 02, 2021, 04:46:38 PM »
well, about the only thing I've found that I don't like to cook in my new carbon steel pan is eggs. More specifically, Egg Beater's style no-fat egg substitute. I generally eat those because I can eat more for the same calorie load.

They're made pretty much entirely from egg whites, which means that they are all protein. No matter what, no matter how much fat I use, they stick for me, so I've gone back to a non-stick pan for my weekend breakfasts.

Everything else I've cooked in the carbon steel pan, though? Turned out great.
Carbon Monoxide, sucking the life out of idiots, 'tards, and fools since man tamed fire.

K Frame

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Re: Carbon steel pans... yes? no? maybe?
« Reply #31 on: April 08, 2021, 10:33:03 AM »
I've finally really hit the sweet spot with this pan, and now it's even doing eggs nicely. Still a bit of sticking, but one I got the seasoning layer figured out just right... not bad at all.

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sumpnz

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Re: Carbon steel pans... yes? no? maybe?
« Reply #32 on: April 08, 2021, 11:29:17 AM »
With eggs, there are 2 keys I’ve found for the carbon steel pan. 

You have to put that thin layer of oil on the pan when it’s hot from drying on a burner after cleaning and let it cool.  Doesn’t seem to matter how much oil I add for cooking, I can flood the pan, but if there isn’t that thin coat that’s been through a heat cycle my eggs stick.

The other is not getting the oil for cooking the eggs too hot before dropping the eggs in the pan.  A frying sound and instant bubbles in the whites means you got it too hot. 

K Frame

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Re: Carbon steel pans... yes? no? maybe?
« Reply #33 on: April 11, 2021, 07:53:14 AM »
I tried your trick of making sure that the pan is cooler when I put the eggs in... Seemed to work pretty well.
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Ron

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Re: Carbon steel pans... yes? no? maybe?
« Reply #34 on: April 11, 2021, 07:57:59 AM »
Use more butter! Float those babies!  :laugh:
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K Frame

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Re: Carbon steel pans... yes? no? maybe?
« Reply #35 on: April 11, 2021, 07:59:57 AM »
I use cooking spray most of the time. Convenient.

And even when I did float them, I'd still have sticking problems. I'll mess around some more and give it a few more tries at various heat settings.

I know in general they say you're supposed to cook eggs at fairly low temperatures to be gentle on the protein in the whites, but damn it, I'm hungry NOW!
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Ron

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Re: Carbon steel pans... yes? no? maybe?
« Reply #36 on: April 11, 2021, 10:20:29 AM »
I also find the more I fiddle with them the more prone they are to sticking.
For the invisible things of him since the creation of the world are clearly seen, being perceived through the things that are made, even his everlasting power and divinity, that they may be without excuse. Because knowing God, they didn’t glorify him as God, and didn’t give thanks, but became vain in their reasoning, and their senseless heart was darkened. Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools.

sumpnz

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Re: Carbon steel pans... yes? no? maybe?
« Reply #37 on: April 11, 2021, 11:38:46 AM »
My favorite cooking oil has become schmaltz, especially for eggs or browning meat for a braise.  Best is from well raised ex-layer hens, but rendering the fat from store bought chickens is good too.  I take the skin from any chickens I don’t want the skin for the recipe and put it in a glass baking dish.  Sprinkle a little salt and cook at 375 until the skin is crispy (about an hour).  Remove the skin and eat like chips.  Pour the fat into a mason jar and store in the fridge.