Updated on March 6, 2023
Can You Put Butter In A Cast Iron Skillet?
Yes, you can put butter in a cast iron skillet. However, while using butter, keep in mind that the cast iron skillet heats up quickly and can eventually burn the butter. Therefore, it is very important to keep the skillet at a temperature below 350 degrees in order to prevent the burning of the butter as well as food. Either reduce the heat or use the oil that has the highest smoke point like animal fats or vegetable oil.
Furthermore, vegetable oil and animal fats have the highest temperature at which they start to burn and break down. When the oil and fats are heated up to the smoking point, the carcinogenic compounds start to activate that are harmful to human health. Apart from this, these compounds also induce the burned flavor to the food in the cast iron skillet and start to create bluish smoke on the walls of your kitchen.
How To Use Butter In A Cast Iron Skillet?
Although it is not recommended to use the butter in the cast iron skillet at the start of cooking the food as the skillet heats up quickly and burns the butter. However, you can use the butter at the end of your cooking period by lowering the temperature of the cast iron skillet in order to give a perfect buttery taste to your burgers or steaks. Cooking steaks is the best example of using butter in a cast iron skillet.
As the steak is cooked at the highest temperature in the cast iron, the best time to add the butter is when the pan is cooled down or is at a lower temperature. After a few minutes, add butter to the pan. As the cast iron skillet takes time to cool down and is still hot, add butter and immediately baste it to prevent it from burning. The pro tip for using butter in cast iron is to quickly baste it to keep it safe from burning. You can also make eggs, mushrooms, burgers, and asparagus in the cast iron skillet while using butter.
Alternatives Of Butter For Cast Iron Skillet
Butter is not only the ingredient to be used for cooking food in the cast iron skillet. You can also use different vegetable oils having the highest smoking points that can be used safely in cast iron without being burned. Butter should be avoided due to low smoking temperatures. Apart from this, avocado oil is also one of the best alternatives to butter that can be used safely in cast iron due to its 482 degrees of smoking temperature. Other oils like canola oil, grapeseed oil, vegetable oil, and corn oil are the other alternatives to butter.
FAQs
What should you not cook in the cast iron skillet?
Delicate fish, tomatoes, eggs, sticky desserts, and different highly acidic foods are not recommended to be cooked in the cast iron skillet.
How do you keep the butter from burning in the cast iron skillet?
In order to prevent the butter from burning in the cast iron skillet, first add one tablespoon of any flavorless oil with the highest smoking temperature and then add butter along with it to prevent it from burning due to direct heat. It is recommended not to add butter directly as it can burn due to its lowest smoking temperature.
Why does butter turn the pan black?
Using butter specifically for frying turns the pan black in case it’s too hot. This is due to the presence of milk solids in the butter that can burn it quickly and easily. Furthermore, you have to keep checking the color of the butter as the brown color is perfect for cooking. Turning the color into dark brown can blacken the pan which can cause great trouble for you.
Conclusion
You should not use butter alone in the cast iron skillet as it has the lowest smoking point that can burn it easily. Furthermore, it is recommended to use butter at the end of the cooking session in order to induce its flavor in the food. Apart from this, you can also use butter at the beginning of cooking the food by first adding the flavorless oil having the highest smoking temperature and then adding butter to the pan. Also, keeping the pan at the lowest temperature is also another important tip.
