Tomato, wine and lemon in carbon steel – what happens to the surface?
Time: about 10 min
Acidic ingredients and carbon steel are not the best match. It is not dangerous and the surface can be restored. Here is what happens, when the enamelled pan is the better choice and what to do afterwards.
Short answer
Acid from tomatoes, wine, lemon and vinegar can loosen the seasoning in a carbon steel pan, and the steel may then give food a metallic, iron-like taste. It is not dangerous. The easiest fix is to keep frying in the pan with fat, and if needed you can re-season it. For acidic dishes that need to simmer for a long time, an enamelled frying pan is the better choice.
What you need
- Carbon steel pan, e.g. classic ø28 cm
- Enamelled frying pan for acidic dishes
- Hot water and kitchen paper
- Neutral oil, e.g. rapeseed oil
How to do it
- Choose the pan for the dishIf a tomato sauce, wine sauce or lemony dish needs to simmer for a while, use the enamelled frying pan. It handles acid and washing-up liquid, while the carbon steel pan is at its best for frying.
- Add the acid lastWhen cooking in carbon steel, wait until the end to add lemon, wine or tomato – or squeeze the lemon over the food on the plate. The less time acid spends in the pan, the less the surface is affected.
- Serve straight awayDo not leave an acidic dish to stand and cool in the carbon steel pan. Serve the food and rinse the pan with hot water once it has cooled a little.
- Dry and oilDry the pan thoroughly, underside included, and wipe a few drops of oil over the cooking surface. This protects the steel where the seasoning has been loosened.
- Keep fryingUse the pan as usual for frying with butter or oil the next few times. The surface usually recovers by itself with use.
- Re-season if neededIf the surface has become patchy or food still tastes of iron, re-season the pan. Heat it slowly until it starts to smoke slightly, wipe on a thin layer of neutral oil with a cloth and tongs, and repeat until the surface is black.
Common mistakes
- Letting a tomato or wine sauce simmer for a long time in the carbon steel pan.
- Leaving an acidic dish in the pan until the next day.
- Scrubbing off the whole surface with steel wool just because it looks patchy after acid.
- Assuming the pan is ruined, when the surface usually recovers with continued use.
Why carbon steel reacts to acid
The black surface of a carbon steel pan is vegetable oil baked into the steel, not a separate coating. Acid can dissolve parts of that layer, so the steel comes into contact with the food and gives a metallic taste. In the enamelled pan the steel is protected by enamel, which copes with both acid and washing-up liquid.
FAQ
Is the metallic taste harmful?
No, it is not dangerous. The taste comes from the steel where the seasoning has loosened, and it disappears once the surface has built up again.
Can I deglaze a carbon steel pan with wine?
Avoid reducing a wine sauce for long in carbon steel. A quick splash that boils off fast affects the surface less, and if it turns patchy, just keep frying in the pan.
Why does the surface look lighter and patchy after tomato sauce?
The acid has loosened some of the seasoning. Rinse, dry, oil and keep cooking – or re-season the pan if you want an even surface straight away.
Does the same apply to griddles and pizza steels?
Yes, acidic ingredients can affect the seasoning on griddles and pizza steels too. On the griddle the surface usually recovers with continued use, and both can be re-seasoned if needed.
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