Choosing natural cooking surfaces for your all natural meat.

Let’s face it, we live in a world full of toxins. 

At this point it’s just a fact of life, there are toxins in the air we breathe, the soil we grow our food in, the water we drink and bathe in, the clothes we wear, the products we use, and more. It feels unavoidable because it is unavoidable.

But, it doesn't have to be all doom and gloom. The good news is, our bodies were made to deal with and filter out a certain amount of toxins. 

However, it is all about toxic load. Sure, we cannot control all the toxins we are exposed to, but there are some we can!

It is important that we make the right choices on the things we CAN control to offset the toxic load on our bodies from the exposure we CANNOT control.

One big first step to keep one particular toxic forever chemical out of our bodies and our ecosystem is to stop the use of non-stick cookware.

Non-stick pans are coated with a class of ‘forever’ chemicals called PFAS (polyfluoroalkyl substances.) 

They are called forever chemicals because they accumulate in our bodies and in the environment and never break down. Not only do they never degrade, they also cause a host of serious health problems and diseases, ranging from tooth decay to cancer.

To thoroughly cover the topic of just how horrible PFAS pollution is I would have to write a novel. But, if you are interested in learning more about this topic I highly recommend watching the movie Dark Waters as a good place to start.

Non-stick cooking surfaces may be convenient, but they are completely unnecessary. 

Are you willing to harm your health and the health of the planet for the sake of convenience? I know I’m not, and so I am here to help you choose naturally ‘PFAS Free’ cooking surfaces.

Honestly, it’s easy. Natural cooking surfaces include:

Cast Iron:

I like to use cast iron for searing meat, veggies, and cooking pancakes. 

Pros:

• Great all purpose cooking surface
• Ideal for searing meat
• Oven Safe
• Lasts for generations
• Adds iron to food
• Naturally non-stick

Cons: 

• Needs to be maintained by ‘seasoning’ the pan. Basically, you coat it in a high heat oil or fat and bake it every once in a while to keep it from rusting.
• Not dishwasher safe

Tip: Never use soap on cast iron. Scrub with stainless steel sponge or wood scraper to clean off any stuck-on food.

Glass:

I like glass for baking and food storage.

Pros:

• Great option for baking
• Oven Safe
• Lasts for generations
• Dishwasher safe
• Great for storing food
• Affordable and easily available at most stores

Cons:

• Glass can break more easily than other options
• Not great for stove top cooking
• Needs fat coating to make it non-stick

Stainless Steel:

I like stainless steel for cooking rice, pasta, sauces, and my baking sheets are stainless steel. 

Pros:

• Great for stove top cooking
• Oven safe (if high quality stainless steel)
• Dishwasher safe
• Affordable and easily available at most stores

Cons:

• Cheap stainless steel can warp, stain, and leach nickel into food.
• Needs fat coating to make it non-stick

Ceramic:

I like ceramic specifically for baking bread.

Pros:

• Great all purpose cooking surface
• Oven Safe
• Naturally non-stick
• Good for food storage

Cons:

• Shorter life span
• Can chip and crack

Each option has its own pluses and minuses, and I keep some of each in my home kitchen.

Brands I trust:

Cast iron: Lodge

Glass: Pyrex

Stainless Steel: Demeyere and Made In

Ceramic: Le Creuset (technically enameled cast iron)

Now that you have your all natural cooking surfaces I have to make a public service announcement:

DO NOT COOK OVER HEAT WITH OLIVE OIL AND STOP USING VEGETABLE OILS AND SEED OILS.

When olive oil is heated it changes its chemical profile. The beneficial antioxidants, fatty acids, and phenolic compounds are degraded. It also has a low smoke point which makes it best to use as a finish to drizzle over cooked foods and salads.

As for the vegetable and seed oils, just steer clear, but that’s a topic for another newsletter.

The best fats and oils to use for cooking over heat include:

• coconut oil
• ghee
• lard/tallow
• avocado oil

We left the city life to start a farm because we are passionate about living a natural life with minimal toxin exposure. We put in a lot of thought and work into producing the best quality meats possible. 

We believe that our naturally raised meats are best when paired with naturally toxic free cookware.

-Val