Cook like a pro with Le Creuset!

Cook like a pro with Le Creuset!

Here are our top tips on the use and care of their amazing range of satin black enamel cookware. Personally, we love to cook our beef and chicken on the Cast Iron range of Square Grills or Skillets.

This range of cookware – including grills and skillets – is ideal for cooking steaks, as it is specifically designed for high surface temperature cooking, achieved by allowing the pan to heat through evenly on a low to medium setting.

• Dry pre-heat the cookware. Do not add oil to the pan before heating up as the oil may become too hot and smoke.
• Always use low to medium heat, not high. Be patient and give it time to slowly heat up. Cast iron does not heat up as quickly as stainless steel, but the magic is… once it’s hot, it stays hot for hours.

Ensure the pan is hot before cooking your steak. You can test if the pan is hot enough by sprinkling some water onto the pan – if the water droplets immediately evaporates away, the pan is hot enough. You can add the oil to the pan, or you can run the oil onto the meat instead (less oil used this way).

4. Once you have place the meat on the pan, do not touch it for a good 3 – 4 minutes (depends on the thickness of the cut and how well you like it cooked). Basically, the outer surface of the meat needs time to caramelise, and only when it is allowed time, will the meat not stick to the pan, resulting in perfect sear lines and grill marks. Otherwise, it will stick like crazy and it will be tough to clean.

5. Always allow the cookware to cool down before washing in warm soapy water. A stubborn mark can be scrubbed with a nylon brush. Do not use stainless wool balls or harsh utensils,