Are There Foods You Shouldn't Cook in a Cast-Iron Skillet? I Asked a Culinary Instructor - CNET

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Do acidic foods ruin a cast-iron skillet? What about fish and eggs? We asked an expert about potential pitfalls when using with the cult-favorite cookware.

Some foods need special attention when cooked in cast iron.

Cast-iron cookware has a special place in the hearts of home cooks and pro chefs. These tough skillets and grill pans offer a more vigorous sizzle and sear to cuts of meat, burgers and batches of potatoes than other materials. The magic that happens when beef or chicken hits hot cast iron is not lost on those in the know, but are there foods you should never cook with cast-iron cookware?

We turned to a professional for answers. Eric Rowse, lead chef-instructor of Culinary Arts at the Institute of Culinary Education's Los Angeles campus gave us the hard truth about cast iron and what you should and shouldn't drop onto its smoking surface.

According to Rowse, there's "nothing that needs to be avoided when cooking in cast iron, though this depends on the age and quality of the seasoning." That said, some foods react poorly to cast iron if it's not done properly, leading to compromised cookware or food with a metallic taste.

Tomatoes, vinegar-based sauces, eggs and fish are a few foods that require special attention when cooking with cast iron. If you're new to cast-iron cooking or not familiar with its nuances, you might consider stainless steel or nonstick cookware for the following.

It's OK to cook acidic foods such as tomatoes and vinegar in your cast-iron pan but letting them sit for long periods can eat away at the seasoning.

"Highly acidic foods, such as tomato and tomato-based dishes, vinegar-based foods like adobo or wine-braised dishes like coq au vin can be problematic on raw iron, poorly, or underseasoned cast iron," Rowse says.

"Cooking these foods in neglected cast iron can lead to a metallic taste in the food. If the pan is well seasoned and cleaned out after each use, it isn't a problem."

To be safe, cook bacon in your skillet afterward to give the seasoning extra protection. As a bonus, you'll have bacon on hand. What you don't want to do is leave the acidic food just sitting in the pan which can eat away at the seasoning.

A properly seasoned cast-iron skillet can cook eggs without issue.

Eggs are a tricky food to pan-fry without having a sticky mess to deal with after. While cast-iron cookware isn't as nonstick as chemically coated pans, it's still a fine candidate for scrambling or frying the morning staple.

"I love cooking eggs in cast iron," Rowse told us. "I have a small 5-inch one that I cook fried eggs in. Cast iron is able to get super-hot and precise control is harder because it retains heat for longer, and therefore it is more difficult to make small adjustments to the temperature."

Likewise, many varieties of fish are flaky and tend to stick to surfaces if not managed properly. If your cast-iron's patina isn't properly slicked or too hot when the fish goes down, you may end up scraping half of your halibut from the bottom of the pan.

Properly seasoning your cast iron will keep foods such as fish and eggs from sticking.

First and foremost, you'll want to properly season so you can cook even the stickiest foods without worry.

When cooking acidic foods in cast iron, avoid slow-braising or simmering on the stovetop for long periods. When the food is finished cooking, remove it and wash your cast-iron pan immediately with hot water, a drop of dish soap and a sprinkling of kitchen salt for extra stuck-on foods.