I have a stainless steel pan which works great to fry most veggies, but I can’t manage to cook tofu, tempeh and meat alternatives in it. They just stick too much, no matter how much oil and patience I try. Then I have a non-stick pan which is kinda old and it needs to be replaced.
What do you use? I think about getting a cast iron or carbon steel pan, but I don’t know how well it will work and if it’s worth it…
Cast iron.
It’s so good.
Cleaning is easy. Wipe it down with water after every use, then put it back on the burner to cook off the water. When dry, mop on a bit of oil and let it heat until it starts to smoke. Remove from heat and let cool. It takes a little bit of time after every use, but if you always do it the pan will never let you down.
Cast iron can also be really scrubbed if you need to, unlike nonstick. Consider chain mail scrubbers as a great, safe, reusable, and long-lasting option.
I cook tofu and meat alternatives all the time. I never have problems with sticking. Cheese was the exception, but even that comes off if you boil water in the pan for just a few minutes. I stopped using it in the cast iron first as I stepped towards veganism. Now I don’t even have to boil water in the pan to clean it!
RE cleaning stuck on food, I swear by bamboo pot scrubbers for this. Cheap and last for years.
I fry tofu in a cast iron skillet with a little oil on heat just below the oil’s smoke point.
The trick is to just let the tofu sit in place. Do NOT try to flip it. Let it sit until it gets crispy on the frying side. When it does, I use a thin metal pancake-flipping sort of spatula to turn all the pieces. If they are diced (rather than slabs), I start with pieces in the center of the pan, scooping towards an edge and flipping the first flipper-full, then scooping and flipping the sides and so on so I don’t disturb the pieces I’ve already flipped.
I’ve been using cast iron for years. I’m not even sure how I’d get tofu of tempeh to stick to it.
I just use about a tablespoon on olive oil, heat it to low medium, then put whatever I’m cooking on.
Clean with soap. Leave to dry on stovetop (low heat) for about 5 minutes. If it needs more slide, reapply a tiny bit of oil and smear it around into a thin layer. Turn off the element when it starts smoking.
That’s all there is to it.
I think previously I used too much heat and before the pieces could be turned they were already burned. Now with my new carbon steel pan I use lower heat and let food sit for a while and it works great!
Yeah, for heat I pretty much never go over the middle (medium) setting on my stovetop unless I’m boiling water or trying to make a resto style stirfry. I pretty much treat medium as my highest setting for virtually all of my stovetop cooking.
How does carbon steel compared to stainless steel would you say? I don’t really have any complaints about stainless if it’s oiled and preheated properly.
debuyer makes some lighter carbon steel pans that are easier on your wrists compared to cast iron tanks ☞ https://www.debuyer.com/fr/454-cuisson-acier
we use stainless, carbon and cast iron. Don’t torture yourself with cast iron unless you want a workout too while cooking.
I bought a de buyer mineral b in the end and i’m quite happy so far!
🤜🤛
