Tips & Tricks How to Use the Cast Iron Melting Pot By: Lodge Cast Iron / June 25, 2021 Sauces keep your food moist, balance flavors, and add complexity and color to your plate. They can be sweet, spicy, tangy, or sour, and heck, they can be all those things at once. When we get creative with sauces, we like to use a melting pot and silicone brush, which are great for “stovetops” and grills. If you’re not sure where to start, we’ve got tips for making great sauces and how to use the melting pot to do it! E-mail this page Share on Facebook Share on Pinterest Share on Twitter Print this page Making Sauces in a Cast Iron Melting Pot Preheat your melting pot over medium heat. Add a small amount of fat, like butter or olive oil. Add minced garlic or shallots and cook until translucent. Add aromatics like rosemary, thyme, or sage. Add additional ingredients, like broth, soy sauce, and tomato sauce. Add some acidity. Acids like vinegar or lemon juice do a great job at balancing flavors. Reduce the sauce by simmering over time or add a thickening agent, like flour, cornstarch, or tapioca. Check to see that the consistency is right. Dip a spoon into your sauce so the back of the spoon is coated. Remove the spoon and hold it out with its back facing you, using a finger, draw a line horizontally across the back of the spoon. If the sauce starts to run together again, it isn’t quite ready. Put it back over the heat and simmer a little longer. Careful not to over do it, you want your sauce to be mostly liquid. The culinary term for this is nappe. Taste for seasoning. Add salt and pepper as needed. Sauce Recipes for the Melting Pot Need some inspiration? Here are some sauces that can be prepared ahead of time and heated up on your terms. Lemon Garlic Butter Sauce Soy Butter Sauce Lemon Garlic Butter Sauce Ingredients: (Makes about 1 cup) 1 stick salted butter 3 cloves garlic, peeled and minced ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice 2-3 tablespoons minced fresh parsley (optional) Instructions: The perfect grilling sauce for fish. Melt butter in a Cast Iron Melting Pot over medium heat. Add garlic, pepper, and optional parsley. Cook until the garlic is translucent, taking care not to let the garlic brown. Remove from heat. Add the lemon juice and stir. Carefully baste while grilling, but do not slather, as dripping butter can cause your fire to flare up. This sauce can be refrigerated, in a sealed glass container for 1-2 weeks. Soy Butter Sauce Ingredients: (Makes about 1 cup) 1 stick unsalted butter 3 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds 1 teaspoon minced garlic 2 tablespoons minced green onion ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 2 tablespoons soy sauce Instructions: Baste lightly on seafood, ribs, chicken, or vegetables. Melt butter in the melting pot over medium heat. Add sesame seeds, garlic, onion, and pepper. Cook until the garlic and onions are translucent but not brown. Add soy sauce and simmer for 2 minutes. Carefully baste while grilling, but do not slather, as dripping butter can cause your fire to flare up. This sauce can be refrigerated, in a sealed glass container for 1 week. Basting with a Cast Iron Melting Pot Basting is the act of brushing food periodically with liquid while it cooks to add flavor and moisture. Brushing a fat, like butter or olive oil, is a simple way to add moisture and create an epic crust. Basting can also be done with stock, beer, or wine. Adding aromatics, like crushed garlic, will add a depth of flavor to your dish. Heat your basting liquid to a simmer and use the silicone brush to periodically coat your food while it cooks. Use a leather glove to help protect your hands from heat while basting on the grill. Tips and Tricks for the Melting Pot Never fill your melting pot more than 2/3 of the way full. Use fresh ingredients whenever possible. Add sugar or acid to tone down heat or make your sauce less salty. Add sweet ingredients toward the end of your recipe. Sugar can burn easily if you aren’t paying attention. Remember to balance flavors, no single ingredient should shine through the rest. Don’t baste with liquids that have come into contact with uncooked food. Discard basting liquid after use if it has come in contact with uncooked foods. What else can I do with a Cast Iron Melting pot? Warm syrup for pancake and waffles Make caramel sauce to top desserts Scald milk for bread dough Soften butter for baking Melt cheese for sauces and dips Looking for more cast iron tips & tricks? These articles are a few of our favorites: How to Make a Cast Iron Skillet Pizza Nothing cooks pizza like cast iron, and the skillet pizza craze is far from over. How to Cook Salmon in a Pan Pan seared salmon is a versatile and delicious dish that’s easier to master than you think. Traveling with your Kickoff Grill There’s nothing worse than arriving at the campsite or tailgate and realizing you’ve forgotten to pack something that you need for grilling! We’ve got you covered with packing suggestions and tips to help your outdoor cooking adventures run smoothly. How to Fry an Egg in a Cast Iron Skillet Eggs might be the most versatile thing in your kitchen—other than your cast iron skillet, of course. How to Sear a Steak on Cast Iron When cast iron gets hot, it stays hot—that’s why we love it for searing steak! Step-by-step Guide to the Lodge Smoker Skillet Infuse great smoked flavor in your food with the new Smoker Skillet. Contributed By: Lodge Cast Iron We hope you enjoy our stories and recipes! Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter, and tag your Instagram food photos with #lodgecastiron for a chance to be featured on our feed! Get $10 off any $50+ order!* While you're shopping, become a Pan Fan today and sign up for our newsletter! *Coupon code will be sent to your email after you sign up for our newsletter! New sign ups only. Sign Up By submitting your information, you are agreeing to Lodge Cast Iron’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Please try again.
Tips & Tricks How to Use the Cast Iron Melting Pot By: Lodge Cast Iron / June 25, 2021 Sauces keep your food moist, balance flavors, and add complexity and color to your plate. They can be sweet, spicy, tangy, or sour, and heck, they can be all those things at once. When we get creative with sauces, we like to use a melting pot and silicone brush, which are great for “stovetops” and grills. If you’re not sure where to start, we’ve got tips for making great sauces and how to use the melting pot to do it! E-mail this page Share on Facebook Share on Pinterest Share on Twitter Print this page Making Sauces in a Cast Iron Melting Pot Preheat your melting pot over medium heat. Add a small amount of fat, like butter or olive oil. Add minced garlic or shallots and cook until translucent. Add aromatics like rosemary, thyme, or sage. Add additional ingredients, like broth, soy sauce, and tomato sauce. Add some acidity. Acids like vinegar or lemon juice do a great job at balancing flavors. Reduce the sauce by simmering over time or add a thickening agent, like flour, cornstarch, or tapioca. Check to see that the consistency is right. Dip a spoon into your sauce so the back of the spoon is coated. Remove the spoon and hold it out with its back facing you, using a finger, draw a line horizontally across the back of the spoon. If the sauce starts to run together again, it isn’t quite ready. Put it back over the heat and simmer a little longer. Careful not to over do it, you want your sauce to be mostly liquid. The culinary term for this is nappe. Taste for seasoning. Add salt and pepper as needed. Sauce Recipes for the Melting Pot Need some inspiration? Here are some sauces that can be prepared ahead of time and heated up on your terms. Lemon Garlic Butter Sauce Soy Butter Sauce Lemon Garlic Butter Sauce Ingredients: (Makes about 1 cup) 1 stick salted butter 3 cloves garlic, peeled and minced ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice 2-3 tablespoons minced fresh parsley (optional) Instructions: The perfect grilling sauce for fish. Melt butter in a Cast Iron Melting Pot over medium heat. Add garlic, pepper, and optional parsley. Cook until the garlic is translucent, taking care not to let the garlic brown. Remove from heat. Add the lemon juice and stir. Carefully baste while grilling, but do not slather, as dripping butter can cause your fire to flare up. This sauce can be refrigerated, in a sealed glass container for 1-2 weeks. Soy Butter Sauce Ingredients: (Makes about 1 cup) 1 stick unsalted butter 3 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds 1 teaspoon minced garlic 2 tablespoons minced green onion ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 2 tablespoons soy sauce Instructions: Baste lightly on seafood, ribs, chicken, or vegetables. Melt butter in the melting pot over medium heat. Add sesame seeds, garlic, onion, and pepper. Cook until the garlic and onions are translucent but not brown. Add soy sauce and simmer for 2 minutes. Carefully baste while grilling, but do not slather, as dripping butter can cause your fire to flare up. This sauce can be refrigerated, in a sealed glass container for 1 week. Basting with a Cast Iron Melting Pot Basting is the act of brushing food periodically with liquid while it cooks to add flavor and moisture. Brushing a fat, like butter or olive oil, is a simple way to add moisture and create an epic crust. Basting can also be done with stock, beer, or wine. Adding aromatics, like crushed garlic, will add a depth of flavor to your dish. Heat your basting liquid to a simmer and use the silicone brush to periodically coat your food while it cooks. Use a leather glove to help protect your hands from heat while basting on the grill. Tips and Tricks for the Melting Pot Never fill your melting pot more than 2/3 of the way full. Use fresh ingredients whenever possible. Add sugar or acid to tone down heat or make your sauce less salty. Add sweet ingredients toward the end of your recipe. Sugar can burn easily if you aren’t paying attention. Remember to balance flavors, no single ingredient should shine through the rest. Don’t baste with liquids that have come into contact with uncooked food. Discard basting liquid after use if it has come in contact with uncooked foods. What else can I do with a Cast Iron Melting pot? Warm syrup for pancake and waffles Make caramel sauce to top desserts Scald milk for bread dough Soften butter for baking Melt cheese for sauces and dips Looking for more cast iron tips & tricks? These articles are a few of our favorites: How to Make a Cast Iron Skillet Pizza Nothing cooks pizza like cast iron, and the skillet pizza craze is far from over. How to Cook Salmon in a Pan Pan seared salmon is a versatile and delicious dish that’s easier to master than you think. Traveling with your Kickoff Grill There’s nothing worse than arriving at the campsite or tailgate and realizing you’ve forgotten to pack something that you need for grilling! We’ve got you covered with packing suggestions and tips to help your outdoor cooking adventures run smoothly. How to Fry an Egg in a Cast Iron Skillet Eggs might be the most versatile thing in your kitchen—other than your cast iron skillet, of course. How to Sear a Steak on Cast Iron When cast iron gets hot, it stays hot—that’s why we love it for searing steak! Step-by-step Guide to the Lodge Smoker Skillet Infuse great smoked flavor in your food with the new Smoker Skillet. Contributed By: Lodge Cast Iron We hope you enjoy our stories and recipes! Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter, and tag your Instagram food photos with #lodgecastiron for a chance to be featured on our feed!
