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Carbon steel pans are beloved by professional chefs and home cooks alike for their durability, heat conductivity, and ability to develop a natural non-stick surface over time. These pans are versatile and ideal for high-heat cooking methods like searing, sautéing, and stir-frying. However, despite their many benefits, carbon steel pans do have some limitations.
Certain foods and cooking methods can damage the pan’s seasoning or even cause rust, diminishing its performance and lifespan. Knowing what not to cook in your carbon steel pan is just as important as understanding how to cook with it.
For instance, cooking sugary sauces or syrups in a carbon steel pan can lead to a sticky, burnt mess that is difficult to clean. The high sugar content can caramelize quickly, sticking to the pan and potentially damaging the seasoning. Sugar caramelizes and sticks to the pan, damaging the seasoning and making cleanup difficult. Here are some other foods which should not be cooked in carbon steel.
Acidic Foods
Acidic foods like tomatoes, vinegar-based sauces, citrus juices, and wine can react with the iron in carbon steel, causing a metallic taste to leach into your food. This reaction also strips away the pan’s seasoning, leaving the surface vulnerable to rust. For instance, making a tomato-based pasta sauce in a carbon steel pan can quickly degrade the seasoning you’ve worked hard to build. If you must cook something acidic, it’s best to do so in a stainless steel or enamelled cast iron pan.
Delicate Fish
While carbon steel pans excel at creating a perfect sear, they are not ideal for cooking delicate fish like tilapia, flounder, or sole. Due to their delicate texture, these types of fish can stick to the surface, even on a well-seasoned pan. The high heat required to cook fish in carbon steel can also cause the fish to overcook quickly, making it difficult to achieve a tender, flaky result.
Eggs
Unless your carbon steel pan is perfectly seasoned, eggs can be a nightmare to cook. Eggs have a tendency to stick to surfaces that aren’t completely non-stick, and even the smallest imperfection in the seasoning can result in a stuck-on mess. Scrambled eggs, omelettes, and fried eggs all require a smooth, non-stick surface to cook properly, which is why non-stick or well-seasoned cast iron pans are often recommended instead.
Slow-Cooked Dishes
Carbon steel pans are fantastic for quick, high-heat cooking methods, but they are not designed for slow cooking. Dishes that require long, slow simmering, like stews or braises, can cause the seasoning to break down over time. Also, prolonged moisture exposure can lead to rust, which is a common issue if the pan is not dried thoroughly after use. Long cooking times and moisture can deteriorate the seasoning and increase the risk of rust, shortening the pan’s lifespan.
Boiling Water
Boiling water in a carbon steel pan might seem harmless, but it can actually cause issues with the pan’s seasoning. Water does not allow the oil to bond to the pan’s surface, which means boiling it can strip away the carefully built-up layers of seasoning. Over time, this can leave the pan more susceptible to rust and decrease its non-stick properties.
Highly Salty Foods
High levels of salt, especially when combined with moisture, can be corrosive to carbon steel. Cooking highly salty dishes, such as certain brined meats or overly salted soups and stews, can lead to pitting and rusting of the pan. The salt can eat away at the seasoning and the metal underneath, especially if the food is left in the pan for any length of time after cooking.
