Frustrated w/food burning - is it the cookware or the stove?

[asianflava]

It's probably a combination of both. Using the same cookware both here at our house here in Colorado, and at our house in Texas, stuff would always burn on the bottom of the pot here in CO.

We did a minor renno on our kitchen (new appliances, countertops, and backsplash) and now with the new stove, I don't get the burning anymore. It seems that the biggest difference is the size of the burner. The original CO stove had relatively small burners which probably concentrated the heat. Cookware with a heavier bottom could probably alleviate this problem by distributing the heat.

Funny that Glen mentioned Acemart, my nieghbor in TX worked there for years.

[b.bodemer]

Cast iron !!!!!!!!!

Barb

[iplay10us2]

I am headed out to camp tomorrow morning with a group of friends and I have been assigned to do omelets for breakfast. I am taking my one and only cast iron skillet to help accomplish this feat. I can never get the flame on my propane stove turned down enough to insure even heat and low heat on my regular pans. I do end up burning or almost burning lots of stuff.

This will be a good test of my cast iron on my stove.

Who knew when this trip was planned over a month ago that we would be having 98+ temperatures this early???? It will also be a good test of my petcool.

[caseydog]

It is 103 degrees on my front porch right now (in the shade). I am thinking of taking my cast-iron skillet out to the driveway and trying the old fry an egg in the sun trick.

[iplay10us2]

I took my one and only cast iron skillet camping this weekend and we used it over charcoal briquettes for baked beans and it worked very well.

However, when I tried to use it on my Coleman propane stove to do omelets for breakfast, it was horrible! The first omelet tasted fine, but the presentation was awful. The omelet did not cook slowly and stuck in places, even though it is seasoned and I did use some butter for a coating. I switched to my regular teflon-coated pan for the next 3 batches of omelets, and they came out just about perfect.

I also did apple pies in my cast iron pie irons over charcoal briquettes for the first time, and they were great!

[eamarquardt]

XROVER wrote:

A little bit of butter and then fried the sirloin on the cast iron skillet.

I have heard that in some parts of the world it is customary and socially acceptable to "fry" a steak. Having been born and raised in So. Cal. (love the WX but too many rats crammed in the cage for me) I was unaware that one could "fry" a steak until a friend (during our HS years) visited family in Pennsylvania and observed a steak being "fried" first hand. He was stunned (as was I when he shared his experience)! Here, the only socially acceptable way of cooking steak (to my knowlege) is to grill it!

There you have it the "world according to Gus". If my thoughts or opinions offend you, consider the source, ME.

Cheers,

Gus

[S. Heisley]

I bought a Coleman fry pan once...burned stuff...tossed the *@#! thing out real fast! Now, I use my 20 yr-old copper bottom stainless steel Revere ware. (Got a new set for the house.) No problems with that and its light weight.

Check the local thrift stores or yard sales for a good quality layered stainless steel with either a copper or aluminum bottom, if you can find it. It's good. Sears used to make a good stainless with an aluminum bottom for a reasonable price...don't know if they still do or not.

[bobhenry]

XROVER wrote:

A little bit of butter and then fried the sirloin on the cast iron skillet.

I have heard that in some parts of the world it is customary and socially acceptable to "fry" a steak. Having been born and raised in So. Cal. (love the WX but too many rats crammed in the cage for me) I was unaware that one could "fry" a steak until a friend (during our HS years) visited family in Pennsylvania and observed a steak being "fried" first hand. He was stunned (as was I when he shared his experience)! Here, the only socially acceptable way of cooking steak (to my knowlege) is to grill it!

There you have it the "world according to Gus". If my thoughts or opinions offend you, consider the source, ME.

Cheers,

Gus

CHICKEN FRIED STEAK , PAN FRIED STEAK What ever you call it it just takes patients and a low low flame. If you get in a hurry a thrown retread would be easier to chew. Most folks around here will pound the hell out of it with a tenderizing hammer then flour and fry real low and real slow!

[CAJUN LADY]

XROVER wrote:

A little bit of butter and then fried the sirloin on the cast iron skillet.

I have heard that in some parts of the world it is customary and socially acceptable to "fry" a steak. Having been born and raised in So. Cal. (love the WX but too many rats crammed in the cage for me) I was unaware that one could "fry" a steak until a friend (during our HS years) visited family in Pennsylvania and observed a steak being "fried" first hand. He was stunned (as was I when he shared his experience)! Here, the only socially acceptable way of cooking steak (to my knowlege) is to grill it!

There you have it the "world according to Gus". If my thoughts or opinions offend you, consider the source, ME.

Cheers,

Gus

CHICKEN FRIED STEAK , PAN FRIED STEAK What ever you call it it just takes patients and a low low flame. If you get in a hurry a thrown retread would be easier to chew. Most folks around here will pound the hell out of it with a tenderizing hammer then flour and fry real low and real slow!

One of my kids and hubby's favorite meals is Country Fried Steak (hammered to death) with a white sauce. Mmmmmm good...

[bobhenry]

GO BECCA

I'm comin' over for dinner

This cooking tradition must end at the Mississippi river.

[eamarquardt]

Of those commenting on my comment on fried steak, none are from the West! Proves my point! I wasn't enamored of MYSTERY MEAT (I think it was Chicken Fried Steak, or something) when I was served it repeately in the Commissioned Officers Mess (Closed) in Quantico, Va. years ago, and I am not enamored of it now! Frying, IMHO, seems to be bigger in other parts of the country than in So. Cal.

Just for the record, I'm now allergic to beef and only "occasionally" feel "lucky" and try and sneak a bite or two (I usually choke and can't swallow for minutes to hours afterwards). But when I do try, it's been grilled.

One last thought, I grill, not fry, my chicken!

If my thoughts or opinions offend you, just consider the source, ME!

Cheers,

Gus

[caseydog]

XROVER wrote:

A little bit of butter and then fried the sirloin on the cast iron skillet.

I have heard that in some parts of the world it is customary and socially acceptable to "fry" a steak. Having been born and raised in So. Cal. (love the WX but too many rats crammed in the cage for me) I was unaware that one could "fry" a steak until a friend (during our HS years) visited family in Pennsylvania and observed a steak being "fried" first hand. He was stunned (as was I when he shared his experience)! Here, the only socially acceptable way of cooking steak (to my knowlege) is to grill it!

There you have it the "world according to Gus". If my thoughts or opinions offend you, consider the source, ME.

Cheers,

Gus

In addition to Chicken Fried Steak (AKA Country Fried Steak), which is basically a cheap cut of meat tenderized by pounding or cubing, you can cook a mean steak on heavy cast-iron when it is too ugly outside to grill.

Get your cast iron very hot and sear your steak to a nice brown on both sides, and put the pan and steak in the oven at 350 until it's done the way you like it.

Back to the Chicken Fried Steak, it is awesome comfort food, when done right. It is fried shoe leather if you don't do it right. You serve it with mashed potatoes and white gravy, with a side of fried okra. Yum!

CD

[caseydog]

Of those commenting on my comment on fried steak, none are from the West! Proves my point! I wasn't enamored of MYSTERY MEAT (I think it was Chicken Fried Steak, or something) when I was served it repeately in the Commissioned Officers Mess (Closed) in Quantico, Va. years ago, and I am not enamored of it now! Frying, IMHO, seems to be bigger in other parts of the country than in So. Cal.

Just for the record, I'm now allergic to beef and only "occasionally" feel "lucky" and try and sneak a bite or two (I usually choke and can't swallow for minutes to hours afterwards). But when I do try, it's been grilled.

One last thought, I grill, not fry, my chicken!

If my thoughts or opinions offend you, just consider the source, ME!

Cheers,

Gus

Gus, I had never heard of Chicken Fried Steak until I moved to Texas. And, yes, things are fried a lot in the south.

I typically grill my chicken, too. However, I do enjoy really good Southern fried chicken from time to time.

I'll try just about any food once, and I've discovered a lot of good food by trying regional favorites. An open mind often leads to a happy stomach.

CD

[oklahomajewel]

I took my one and only cast iron skillet camping this weekend and we used it over charcoal briquettes for baked beans and it worked very well.

However, when I tried to use it on my Coleman propane stove to do omelets for breakfast, it was horrible! The first omelet tasted fine, but the presentation was awful. The omelet did not cook slowly and stuck in places, even though it is seasoned and I did use some butter for a coating. I switched to my regular teflon-coated pan for the next 3 batches of omelets, and they came out just about perfect.

I also did apple pies in my cast iron pie irons over charcoal briquettes for the first time, and they were great!

Susann.... next time , doing omelets for a group of 6 or more... try the RV Omelets with ziplocs bags... but you have to use the right kind of bags and cook for the FULLL 13 minutes. Works like a charm.

[iplay10us2]

Julie:


But does it LOOK like an omelet when it comes out of the bag? Part of the whole omelet thing for me is the presentation of the omelet folded over in half and just the right amount of browning.