Cooking with cast iron - about temperature

[notepad]

Hey guys,

Yesterday I prepared some beef ribs with my new cast iron, same recepie I always use. Quick sear on the stove top and into the oven for 4 hours and 170 degrees celsius; lid closed. Usually the ribs are soft and juicy, but what I took out of the oven was quite hard to even call food; coal is more like it. It stuck hard to the pot which was quite a pleasure to clean, that is to say, it's still stained...

I'm assuming it's common knowledge, that these iron pots must be cooked with at lower temperatures than stainless steel? And if so, how much lower do you reckon would do the trick?

Cheers.

 

[CraigC]

Did you use a braising liquid?

 

[notepad]

I braised the ribs with olive oil, if that's what you mean... Then added 50-50 red wine and beef stock. A lovely Gordon Ramsay recipe.

 

[TATTRAT]

I don't think the cast iron pan is the culprit. Sounds like the lid wasn't sealed, or too hot for too long and your liquid evaporated.

 

[caseydog]

I braised the ribs with olive oil, if that's what you mean... Then added 50-50 red wine and beef stock. A lovely Gordon Ramsay recipe.

We may have a language barrier here. I assume you seared your ribs with olive oil, and braised them in the wine and stock.

That should have worked, unless the wine and stock evaporated, leaving the ribs dry. There is no reason to change oven temperature between cast iron and other cooking vessels. Did the ribs remain covered with liquid through the entire cooking time?

CD

 

[notepad]

Ah, that's it.

In any case, I kept the lid close, for all that I know... I understand the only reason for what happened is, that it wasn't as closed as it could've been. Next time I'll close it on top of the stove and make sure there isn't any apparent evaporation before I put it in the oven.

Thanks for your replies.

 

[jennyema]

That's also probably too hot for a good braise. Braising is a low and slow method

 

[caseydog]

That's also probably too hot for a good braise. Braising is a low and slow method

That temperature is a bit high -- higher than I would use. But it wasn't so high that it should have burned the meat, as long as the meat remained wet.

Try a temp at or below 300F (about 150C), and check the liquid level from time-to-time to keep your meat just covered.

CD

 

[Caslon]

Hey guys,

Yesterday I prepared some beef ribs with my new cast iron, same recepie I always use. Quick sear on the stove top and into the oven for 4 hours and 170 degrees celsius; lid closed. Usually the ribs are soft and juicy, but what I took out of the oven was quite hard to even call food; coal is more like it. It stuck hard to the pot which was quite a pleasure to clean, that is to say, it's still stained...

I'm assuming it's common knowledge, that these iron pots must be cooked with at lower temperatures than stainless steel? And if so, how much lower do you reckon would do the trick?

Cheers.

Oh, you were used to stainless steel pans cooking up ribs fine, but not so now with cast iron now. I needed to grasp that.

 

[Caslon]

Frying ribs on a stove top stainless steel pan, then to the oven. That sounds intriguing. Not done that.

What was wrong with how you were doing it excellently before? To go cast Iron. ?

 

[dcSaute]

dark color pots/pans absorb more radiant heat in the oven than shiny / light colored things. there is an effect, whether it's (darkened) cast iron or dark enamel ware.

(a) 170'c is a bit too hot for a braise and (b) if the 'new' cast iron has gone dark, not a huge surprise that it boiled out the liquid and (c) covered but not really certainly contributed.

 

[RPCookin]

That temperature is a bit high -- higher than I would use. But it wasn't so high that it should have burned the meat, as long as the meat remained wet.

Try a temp at or below 300F (about 150C), and check the liquid level from time-to-time to keep your meat just covered.

CD

For braising, the liquid should not cover the meat. I only put in enough wine/stock mixture to submerge the meat about half way when braising short ribs.

I've never had an issue with overcooking when braising at 350°F, or about 175°C, but it should only take about 2-2½ hours at most, not 4. My favorite short rib recipe is the one at Bon Appetit(.com) - YUM!

 

[Steven c]

dark color pots/pans absorb more radiant heat in the oven than shiny / light colored things. there is an effect, whether it's (darkened) cast iron or dark enamel ware.

This I can agree with as I've noticed while baking in black cast iron. It always seems to be done before the recommended time and I keep my eye on it before it's supposed to be done. Same thing true about dark colored glassware in the oven.

If cooking on the stovetop with your new skillet medium to medium high heat is all you need except for searing. But I don't use extreme high heat with vintage cast, it helps to preheat in the oven first then the burner to sear with the older ones because they are thinner.

 

[johnperkins899]

Didn't get, why black pan absorbs more heat. Are you talking about the electrical oven?