[Iron Frying Pan] Recommended Order of Cooking to Avoid Failure

Mihoharaya Honten is a household goods specialty store in Shizuoka. It is said to have been founded in 1687.

The advantage of an iron frying pan, unlike Teflon (fluorine) coated pans, is that you can "fail as many times as you want."
(Teflon/fluorine coated pans cannot be restored once the coating is damaged.)

However, since failure itself is not something to be happy about, I will share a "recommended order of cooking" to help reduce failures.

To state the conclusion first, the recommended order to get used to an iron frying pan is:
1. Vegetable-based
2. Meat/Egg-based
3. Carbohydrate-based
in that order.

How to understand cooking temperature ranges

An iron frying pan does not have a "non-stick" coating like Teflon on its surface.
● Letting oil blend in well at high temperatures
● Cooking within the appropriate temperature range
are important tasks.

For cooking at the appropriate temperature range, please refer to this video.
(This video was filmed at the Mihoharaya store during a "River Light" event.)

Use a generous amount of oil...
When something like "ruts" (oil paths) appear on the surface of the iron frying pan, the surface temperature is around 170°C.

On the other hand, if smoke is coming out, the surface temperature may exceed 210°C, and you need to move the pan away from the heat.
*Please note that Teflon (fluorine) coated pans will be damaged if heated to ultra-high temperatures.

Recommended order of cooking

1. The first recommendation is stir-fried vegetables

Vegetables with high water content seem to be less likely to stick to iron frying pans.
Cabbage, bean sprouts, etc., are recommended.
Stir-fried vegetables can be made "crispy" just like when you eat them at a Chinese restaurant.

2. Once you are used to stir-fried vegetables, try proteins like meat and eggs

Once you are used to the iron frying pan with stir-fried vegetables...
Next, protein-based dishes like meat and eggs are recommended.

There is a key point when cooking meat.
That is, "do not move the meat immediately after you start cooking it."

I would like you to remember how you cook meat at a yakiniku restaurant...
When you place meat on the frying pan and heat it, I think there will be a moment when the meat warps slightly.

If you move the meat at this timing, I think you will find that the meat is less likely to stick to the frying pan.

3. Finally, carbohydrate-based dishes (gyoza, fried rice, etc.)

There are many people who really want to cook gyoza in an iron frying pan...
If possible, I think it is better to wait until the oil has blended into the iron frying pan and you have gotten used to using it.

(I hope to avoid the cycle of trying boldly from the beginning, having it stick, and then getting discouraged...)

When cooking gyoza, using a turner sold by Kai Corporation is recommended.

By using this, my success rate (the rate at which things go well) when cooking gyoza has increased.

Also... if you want to try making yakisoba, Fujinomiya yakisoba is recommended.
Since the noodles are coated with oil, I feel it is easier to cook than other types of yakisoba.

I sometimes feel that yaki-udon is a bit difficult.

Above all, do not give up

You bought an iron frying pan, so...
As a shop, we would like you to make good use of it.

(As a business, perhaps Teflon/fluorine coated pans have more replacement demand and are more profitable for us...!
Even so, iron is a great tool, so I want you to use it!)

Even if you burn it or it gets rusty, an iron frying pan can be salvaged.
★ If you have an IH stove at home, it will become unusable if it deforms, so you need to be careful about rapid cooling, such as cooling a hot frying pan with water.

If you put it away, it may rust due to humidity.
If possible, I hope you will use it regularly and enjoy various dishes.