Make Every Pan a Non-Stick Pan

What pan to use is often the first decision that we come across when we start to cook eggs or other similarly fragile items. Do you use the non-stick pan with it's black synthetic coating, or the pan made of plain metal.

The choice really boils down to how hard do I want to work to have great eggs? I have heard that the non-stick coating materials may pose some health risks. I don't know if that is true. I've also heard that aluminum, the primary cooking surface in the restaurant industry may have some late-life health conditions tied to exposure to it. I don't know if that is true either.

The way I look at it, is there will likely be a health risk eventually associated with the tools we use to cook our meals. Couple that with the known health risks that are present in our food and you can 1) stop eating altogether and try not to think of what is in our air and water, or 2) assume the risk and live life to the fullest.

I'm going with two.

Back to the original question. Don't answer yet. What if BOTH pans could be non-stick? What if you could have beautiful over-easy eggs with either pan and it would be painless to achieve?

You can. It's simple, and if you are careful, it's painless.

I'll show you with my new pan. Your pan does not need to be new, just clean, as clean as you can get the area that touches the food. I don't care about the bottom.

For an 8" sauté pan, I put in 1/2 cup of kosher salt and turn on the heat.

Once the salt starts to ret really hot, you will hear a quiet crackling sound. This means that the pan is sufficiently hot enough for the next step.

With a thick kitchen towel in hand, grind the salt into the pan. Make sure that you grind the salt into all of the food contact areas. Use a little muscle and really push. This is where it is potentially painful, the salt is very, very hot and could easily burn you, be careful.

The salt was so hot that it singed my kitchen towel! Use one you don't care about.

It is also a good idea to have a glass or metal container nearby into which you will dump this salt. One time, in a moment of genius, I dumped the salt into the trash can next to the stove in the restaurant where I was working. Not such a good idea, I melted a hole through the can liner and the trash plastic can, oops.

When you have completed the salt procedure, dump it into an appropriate container. If you are using an old pan, you may notice that the color of the salt has changed, usually to a dull gray. If this is the case, discard the salt once it has cooled down.

While the pan is still hot, put an ounce or so of oil into it and work it around with a paper towel until the whole surface has been lightly oiled. Let the pan cool.