Carbon Skillets

[Drewski]

Also, I've been wanting to mention this for other potential users;
on my electric stove-top we've found that level 5 (out of 1-10/High) is really the sweetspot with these pans.
6 gets really hot, but can still be used. Anything above 6 just has the stove top flare too often, and the carbon steel just doesn't need that much heat. At least in my experience.
4 is often by fall-back for onions, and other dishes that are already well on their way, but anything under 4 has the stove-top flare on such low frequency that I don't feel the heat is really penetrating the thick pan. At least not to begin with.
5 is where most of everything happens.

Yes, I made the mistake initially as well of cranking the pan up to 8/10. The bottom of the pan would bow out (down) from the heat (not permanently), and the vegetables would squeak in the pan. I found that for crepes, my stove at around 3/10 is good. Of course, that value will differ across the board.

[jbart65]

I often turn my heat all the way up before dropping in a protein. My stove hits 23K BTU.

After a quick sear on both sides, I drop the temperature to medium or low. Sometimes I finish off in the oven for more gentle, even heat.

[Altadan]

What does 23k BTU translate to, Jbart?

Yesterday my wife warmed up some leftover red-wine beef daub. It was better as a reheated leftover than when it was freshly cooked. However, red wine (apparently) also strips these pans... So I thought, why not? I threw it in the oven again with a layer of flaxseed (starting at 200F and only then raising it to 525F - came out gorgeous grey and blue), and then today threw a couple of steaks on it. With all the fat on those steaks it's wonderfully black again.
Decided to raise it up to 6, and then lower it

Admittedly a little crowded for a ribeye AND a top sirloin, but still turned out delicious

[Drewski]

What does 23k BTU translate to, Jbart?

Yesterday my wife warmed up some leftover red-wine beef daub. It was better as a reheated leftover than when it was freshly cooked. However, red wine (apparently) also strips these pans... So I thought, why not? I threw it in the oven again with a layer of flaxseed (starting at 200F and only then raising it to 525F - came out gorgeous grey and blue), and then today threw a couple of steaks on it. With all the fat on those steaks it's wonderfully black again.
Decided to raise it up to 6, and then lower it

IMG_20190213_115715851_1.jpg


Admittedly a little crowded for a ribeye AND a top sirloin, but still turned out delicious

Damn... making me hungry! Also, are you saying that the red-wine in the daube did strip the seasoning?

[jbart65]

What does 23k BTU translate to, Jbart?

Yesterday my wife warmed up some leftover red-wine beef daub. It was better as a reheated leftover than when it was freshly cooked. However, red wine (apparently) also strips these pans... So I thought, why not? I threw it in the oven again with a layer of flaxseed (starting at 200F and only then raising it to 525F - came out gorgeous grey and blue), and then today threw a couple of steaks on it. With all the fat on those steaks it's wonderfully black again.
Decided to raise it up to 6, and then lower it

IMG_20190213_115715851_1_1.jpg


Admittedly a little crowded for a ribeye AND a top sirloin, but still turned out delicious

Hard to say for sure, Dan. Depends on the watt rating for your burners.

Most burners range from 8,000 to 12,000 in btu equivalent. Newer ones 10-12K.

Mine puts out 2-3 times as much heat as the typical range. It was the hottest range on the residential market when I bought it in 2012. The law doesn’t allow it to go much higher unless in commercial use.

By comparison a wok burner in a restaurant might hit 50,000 to 100,000. I wanted high btu for stir frying and I still wish I had more juice!

[Altadan]

By comparison a wok burner in a restaurant might hit 50,000 to 100,000. I wanted high btu for stir frying and I still wish I had more juice!

That's what I was wondering about Leaves me something to look forward to when I grow up

[mauichef]

My "collection"...so far!



Absolutely love the Shiba pan.

[slobound]

My "collection"...so far!



Absolutely love the Shiba pan.

Ray, have you used the Shiba pan yet? Thoughts???

[gladius]

You may enjoy this read from J. Kenji López-Alt, Serious Eats

The Truth About Cast Iron Pans: 7 Myths That Need To Go Away

https://www.seriouseats.com/2014/11/the ... -iron.html

[mauichef]

My "collection"...so far!



Absolutely love the Shiba pan.

Ray, have you used the Shiba pan yet? Thoughts???

Garrick...yes indeed. In fact it is my daily go to pan now. I rarely use another.
I really like my DeBuyer pans but this one just ticks all the boxes for me.

It is much lighter than other carbons due to the thinner sides and those sides are not as tall as most other pans. So unless you are cooking larger volumes it is much easier to maneuver the ingredients.
The pan seasoned up super quickly and has held the seasoning with no effort.
I use chainmail on it when the going gets tough but in most instances a paper towel is all the cleaning it needs.

At first I was concerned about the handle shape but it is very comfortable and secure feeling, plus it does not get too hot when cooking regular stuff.

Of course the design is what captivated me to begin with.
It is drop dead gorgeous! I just wish i had taken some glamor shots before I seasoned it. It is that pretty.
It's funny because when I first saw it I thought it could have been a creation from Porsche Design. It had that look.
So I was not surprised to read that Shiba had in fact designed the handle based on his Porsche 911.

Originally this was a purchase I made with some reservations, mainly price related. But 4 months later, I can say unequivocally that it was money very well spent.
Very highly recommended to any pan nut or chef looking for something extra special in the kitchen.

[Drewski]

My "collection"...so far!

Great pic and thanks for the review of the Shibata pan! Looks like you still could use a crepe pan

[Altadan]

Took wife on a dinner+theater date night, and cooked for our neighbors/babysitters. Decided I'll try paella in the deBuyer 12.5... left it with them, but...
*

*

failed to leave (un)cleaning instructions
they left it to soak
In water
With soap!
On the bright side, at least I don't have any bulletproof rice stuck to the bottom.

[rayl1234]

It could be worse.... dishwasher...

[Kalaeb]

It could be worse.... dishwasher...

That would have been my luck for sure.

[Altadan]

Well, I gave a good looksee this morning, and I can't say for sure it rusted anywhere
Seems to have held up nicely after all those layers of flaxseed-oven-baking, and steak fat-frying.
Just to be on the safe side, I threw the thing into the oven again.
I really like what happens when you put it into a 250F oven, and raise it from there to 525F (but we've been over that before)

EDIT: Speaking of Paella, how do you guys get the rice not to stick like crazy to a carbon steel bottom? The half tomato I threw in there with the beans, I'm glad to say, didn't do a whole lotta stripping..

[Kit Craft]

Took wife on a dinner+theater date night, and cooked for our neighbors/babysitters. Decided I'll try paella in the deBuyer 12.5... left it with them, but...
*
IMG_20190223_221649621_1.jpg
*

failed to leave (un)cleaning instructions
they left it to soak
In water
With soap!
On the bright side, at least I don't have any bulletproof rice stuck to the bottom.

There shouldn't be any socarrat left to begin with. Scrape that off with your fork and eat it up. That is the best part!

Re-edited for clarity. The rice is supposed to brown up and stick to the bottom of the pan, that is called socarrat and at least with all of my family and friends in Spain it is not considered a paella if it does not have that. So long as it is not burnt or you are not sticking 1/2 of the rice to the bottom of the pan then I would say you are good to go.

[Altadan]

Took wife on a dinner+theater date night, and cooked for our neighbors/babysitters. Decided I'll try paella in the deBuyer 12.5... left it with them, but...
*
IMG_20190223_221649621_1.jpg
*

failed to leave (un)cleaning instructions
they left it to soak
In water
With soap!
On the bright side, at least I don't have any bulletproof rice stuck to the bottom.

There shouldn't be any socarrat left to begin with. Scrape that off with your fork and eat it up. That is the best part!

INDEED! The sssssocarrrrrat I did manage to scrape off was delicious! Just had the leftovers today.
Some of it, though, was highly resistant to orthodox forms of CS pan cleaning... all's well that ends well. The pan came out slate-gray and deep blue from its last session.
~
Attached is a summary I jotted down of a recipe found on Jamie Oliver's YouTube channel, done by a Spanish fellow Omar Alibhoy
https://youtu.be/L_dDUw_QuDU
I wrote down mostly what I do myself, but now I feel I have to tweak it for the carbon steel's heat retention... edit: but then again, he's using one himself

[Kit Craft]

INDEED! The sssssocarrrrrat I did manage to scrape off was delicious! Just had the leftovers today.
Some of it, though, was highly resistant to orthodox forms of CS pan cleaning... all's well that ends well. The pan came out slate-gray and deep blue from its last session.
~
Attached is a summary I jotted down of a recipe found on Jamie Oliver's YouTube channel, done by a Spanish fellow Omar Alibhoy
https://youtu.be/L_dDUw_QuDU
I wrote down mostly what I do myself, but now I feel I have to tweak it for the carbon steel's heat retention... edit: but then again, he's using one himself

I too use a carbon pan. 14 inch Magefessa. Slopped inward with dimple bottom. This is what my mother-in-law taught me to cook with and so I continue to use it. No issues. Never tired making it in my standard carbon pans though. I've been cooking paella weekly for 7 years and still learning, fwiw.

We kind of cheated in Spain as we had this gas ring that had 3-4 little rings of fire in it so that the entire pan got even flame and you cooked it over a low flame to allow for slower evaporation/absorption. I don't particularly have that option here. Well, I do, but it is an expensive kit and I am cheap. My mother-in-law is more of a traditionalist and sticks to wood fire.

[Altadan]

I too use a carbon pan. 14 inch Magefessa. Slopped inward with dimple bottom. This is what my mother-in-law taught me to cook with and so I continue to use it. No issues. Never tired making it in my standard carbon pans though. I've been cooking paella weekly for 7 years and still learning, fwiw.

We kind of cheated in Spain as we had this gas ring that had 3-4 little rings of fire in it so that the entire pan got even flame and you cooked it over a low flame to allow for slower evaporation/absorption. I don't particularly have that option here. Well, I do, but it is an expensive kit and I am cheap. My mother-in-law is more of a traditionalist and sticks to wood fire.

Haha Make me wonder about the setup she's got in her kitchen
Just thinking of your paella pan makes me hunger for another round of the stuff!
TBH, so far I've been using this 7qt Calphalon nonestick, (also 14", I think, if not a little more) and it turned out delicious Paellas, excellent socarrat, and is easy to clean on top of that!
The nonestick is beginning to scrath, however, and the thing won't last forever. Choices...

[Kit Craft]

Haha Make me wonder about the setup she's got in her kitchen
Just thinking of your paella pan makes me hunger for another round of the stuff!
TBH, so far I've been using this 7qt Calphalon nonestick, (also 14", I think, if not a little more) and it turned out delicious Paellas, excellent socarrat, and is easy to clean on top of that!
The nonestick is beginning to scrath, however, and the thing won't last forever. Choices...

My sis in-law uses a nonstick pan to cook paella too. What works, works. But yeah, that stuff needs replacing eventually. I go through a nonstick 12 inch about every 18 months. Even though I am a mostly carbon guy I do keep some non stick, cast, and enamel ware around. Oh and a wee bit of stainless.

My mother-in-law has a country house where she prepares paella on weekends and it has an outdoor kitchen. Kind of like a raise fireplace with a platform. No wood fires in the apartment--lol. The apartment kitchen is very tight. A one butt kitchen for sure.