W. Hilditch
Active member
Cooking with cast iron on a wood, electric or gas stove seldom requires heating the vessel with more than simmer or low heat, but it does require patience. Let’s use a skillet. Given enough time it will heat up on simmer to around 375° F. Enough to burn your bacon. On low it will heat up to over 500° if you give it time. Picture setting your electric fry pan or griddle at 375° or 500°.
If you have the patience to let the skillet heat up correctly then the only reason to turn the heat up is to replace the heat being absorbed by the food. If heated correctly(read slowly) and you add 3 lbs. of ground beef or veggies it will be appropriate to turn it up to high for a while as the food absorbs the heat. Then back down to low or simmer. One lb. of meat will sear well on medium, or less in a good cast iron skillet.
I seldom need to turn up the heat above low, but when I do it is getting serious.
Hilditch
If you have the patience to let the skillet heat up correctly then the only reason to turn the heat up is to replace the heat being absorbed by the food. If heated correctly(read slowly) and you add 3 lbs. of ground beef or veggies it will be appropriate to turn it up to high for a while as the food absorbs the heat. Then back down to low or simmer. One lb. of meat will sear well on medium, or less in a good cast iron skillet.
I seldom need to turn up the heat above low, but when I do it is getting serious.
Hilditch