We may receive a commission on purchases made from links. When Alton Brown tells you something is essential, you listen, even if it's for something as simple as what pan to use when frying an egg.

To the uninitiated, cast iron pans have somewhat of an air of mystery about them. Maybe you've heard that you can't use soap on them, or that you have to coat them in specialized oil to keep them from ...

Out of the best cooking pans you can have in your arsenal, the versatile cast iron is one that professional and amateur chefs often feel the most passionately about. It is the pan José Andrés uses ...

Rai Mincey is a food writer and baking enthusiast whose focuses include culinary history, seasonal cooking, and Southern cuisine. She splits her time between Birmingham, Alabama, and Tulum, Mexico.

Heat olive oil in in a 10" cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Season chicken with salt and pepper. Sear chicken in hot pan about 5 minutes per side, or until and insta-read thermometer reads 160 ...