SATURDAY, JULY 1, 2023
HOME / COOKING / PANS
Say hello to my new little friend, a De Buyer "Mineral B" carbon steel frying pan, 12" diameter.
That's the brown bag the frying pan came in. Unusual packaging to be sure, but it works.
The pan itself is made in France, and is built from very HEAVY gauge carbon steel, with stainless handles.
Carbon steel is rarely used by home cooks, though it's more common in the restaurant business. Caron steel will rust, it will discolor, and it needs a lot of maintenance to perform at its best. As a matter of fact, as soon as you take it out of the bag, you need to bring it over to the sink, and wash and clean it with scalding hot water (and a little soap) to clean off the beeswax that covers the pan to keep it from rusting during storage and shipping. This will be the first and last time you ever use soap on this pan.
After a thorough cleaning, you must season the pan, using a good quality oil. This can take up to an hour to do. The seasoning has two purposes: it helps to prevent rust, and it causes the pan to develop a non-stick surface. Those who have and maintain cast iron pans know the drill well, as it's the same type of maintenance.
So why bother with such a pan? Because, when used properly by someone who knows how to cook, and how to use these pans, they are capable of incredibly even cooking, and do a great job with pan frying meats of all kind. The pan is completely oven safe, so you can sear a steak in the pan, then place it in the oven to cook more evenly.
So far, I've been incredibly impressed with this pan. For those who want to take their cooking up to the next level, a carbon steel pan is must. But they certainly aren't for everyone.
- Pseudo Boethius