Preheat or do not preheat an enameled cast-iron dutch oven?
I am ready to make a pot roast in an enameled cast-iron dutch oven. I know I should brown the meat on the stove before putting it in the oven. I have heard conflicting advice as to whether or not to preheat the dutch oven before putting the oil in it to brown the meat. Which advice is correct?
As a follow-up question, should the meat be at room temperature before putting in the dutch oven to brown?
(General advice about making a pot roast in a dutch oven also welcomed! I have a 2 lb. roast and some potatoes.)
Best Answer
With enameled cast-iron, I don't bother to heat the pot before adding the oil. For something that's open-pored, like plain cast-iron or carbon steel (like an old-school crepe pan), it's better to preheat the pan. I can't see any chemical advantage to preheating enameled, as it's inert and non-porous. Of course everything DOES need to be properly hot before you add the meat.
I can take or leave letting my roast get to room temp when doing a braise. It's going to be in the oven/pot long enough that it's going to be cooked to 200+ degrees all the way through no matter what. The only possible advantage of letting it warm up on the counter is that it will take marginally less time to cook. And by marginally, I mean you probably won't even notice, on the scale of pot roast cooking time. For a steak or a rib roast where you want the middle warm without the outside being totally dry and charred, room temp helps a lot.
The only real tip I can give on pot roast is to use the right cut of meat. You want something from the shoulder, which usually means chuck. It has an excellent mix of rich meaty flavor, collagen/connective tissue (which makes that gelatin thats critical to the silky mouthfeel of pot roast and BBQ), and fat. You can also use something from the leg (shank) or tail, which also have loads of connective tissue, but they're usually a little low on actual meat. If you get the right cut of meat and cook it low and long enough to get that collagen rendered, it's pretty hard to mess up the rest of it.
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Is it safe to preheat an enameled Dutch oven?
Just like above, preheating a Dutch oven on high heat is as bad as cooking with it on high heat. It can heat up too fast and the surface and food can burn. Also, you never want to preheat it while empty \u2014 this can cause the enamel to crack \u2014 so drizzle your olive oil in first and then switch the stovetop on.Do you need to preheat enameled cast iron?
When using Le Creuset enameled cast iron, the pan needs to preheat on medium heat for about 5 minutes before adding your food. Just be sure not to leave the pan unattended during preheating, and we don't recommend preheating an empty pot or pan for longer than 5 minutes because it could crack the enamel.Do you have to preheat a cast iron Dutch oven?
You need to preheat the cast-iron Dutch oven for around 30 minutes to ensure you get a decent accumulation of steam when you put the dough inside the pot. This is why it's a good idea to start preheating the pot around 30 minutes before the rising dough is ready for baking.Can you heat enameled cast iron empty?
Do not preheat an empty enameled cast-iron pan on the stove top, which can subject the glasslike coating to thermal shock (a sudden change in temperature) and potentially cause it to crack. According to Le Creuset, \u201cYour choice of liquid, oil, fat or butter should completely cover the base before heating begins.5 Unexpected Bread Lessons from HALF PREHEATING Your Dutch Oven
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Answer 2
Jason - From experience I always preheat my cast-iron dutch oven, then before adding the meat I heat the oil.
As far as bringing your meat to room temperature. It is a good idea to let it sit on a counter after pulling it out of the oven. The meat will cook evenly if the meat is the same temperature throughout.
Good luck!
Answer 3
According to the Lodge brand of cast iron cookware website:
To sear, use skillet or grill pan. Allow cookware to come to medium heat. Brush cooking surface and food surface with vegetable oil just before introducing food into the pan.
Do not heat an empty Dutch oven or covered casserole.
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