Wednesday, September 3, 2008
WFMW - Backwards Edition!!
Thank you, Shannon, for letting us have another Backwards Edition of WFMW! This is a chance for all of us to ask those pesky questions that have us baffled.My questions today is about roasting pans. Particularly the non-stick kind.
Except mine seem to have lost all their non-stickiness.
Seriously, everytime I use one of them, I feel like I'd rather throw out the whole thing than try to clean it. They never come completely clean. I don't want to use anything too abrasive on it, for fear of scratching the non-stick surface, but just scrubbing with my sponge and Dawn doesn't get off all the gunk.
Any tips for me? Before I give into my urge to toss them in the dumpster and am reduced to cooking chickens in a pot like my grandmother (but then they come out with no crispy crust...scratch that!)?
Thanks in advance for any help!
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
LinkWithin
Subscribe To
Posts
Comments
10 comments:
I'd toss 'em. BUT I will say I've had a Pampered Chef "family skillet" for almost 10 years and it is still amazing. Best $$ ever spent. And no, I don't sell the product or profit in any way from this. :)
As a cook for 8 years in the military, and other cooking jobs, I prefer the pots and pans without the non-stick surfaces.
The trick is to wash them while they are still warm directly after use, and before the meal is eaten. The longer they sit the harder they are to clean. My wife’s favorite excuse when I tell her this is that she doesn’t know if we will eat everything. I try to get her to understand that it saves her effort in the long haul if she does it this way, even if she has to wash more serving dishes after the meal. Anyway that is what children are for (Dishes).
I have had some luck with soaking a dryer sheet in the pan with water overnight. This also works great in the oven!
I use Bar Keeper's Friend to clean my pans - but they are stainless steel, not nonstick. Not sure if it would work.
After I put the meal into the serving dish, I run hot water and a dob of dishsoap into the pan and set it on the counter to soak while still hot. When I come to wash the dishes after dinner, it runs out with a little encouragement from the brush.
You can let baking soda sit on them and then add a little water to make a paste. I love Shaklee's scrub for pots and pans. It really is a miracle worker!
Reynold's Roasting Bags.
Then it doesn't matter what pan you roast your meat in. Nothing sticks because it is stuck to the bag which gets thrown away. They also shorten your roasting time and leave you with a moist and delicious roast beef or chicken or whatever. I love 'em!
dryer sheets work wonders.
I am not fond of non-stick pans. I have an old enamel roasting pan. Of course they still make them. With enamel you do want to make sure there are not chips because apparently that is not healthy or something. I have actually heard though that the non-stick pans emit some sort of toxin. I prefer stainless for most of my cookwear. If you are trying for a nice crispy chicken, you may want to get the pampered chef (or any brand)clay stone pan. You can put it in there and it browns it nicely. I prefer my chicken roasted right in the crock pot. No crispy skin but it is moist and delicious that way. And of course, no work. Just stick it in there and go! Getting back to cleaning. I am a fan of soaking. I have no problem going to bed with a pan soaking in the sink if needed. :)
I was hoping to hear some great tips because I HATE cleaning roasting pans as well. I usually just get the food out and start it soaking, but I really want to try the dryer sheet thing! Great question!
Here's the deal, you don't want a non-stick roasting pan. How can you make good gravy and pan sauce if it's non-stick? You can't scrape up the pan to add the bits to the sauce.
Get a heavy bottomed roasting pan, one that can go on top of your stove, too. Then, after you take your meat out, you can drain off the liquid in the pan, scrape up the bits with a little wine or mke a roux with butter and flour, and either reduce the wine and pan drippings that you add back in and season for a pan sauce, or make gravy with the roux and season. When you are finished, most of the stuff is off the bottom, and a good hot soak and wipe down is all you need.
Otherwise, the advice to wash right after use, or at least put in hot water afterward is sound.