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gawlt

Pan to braise and then put in oven?

gawlt
16 years ago

I'm looking for a pan to mainly sear/brown 2 pork loins over the stove top and then complete the cooking in the oven. The recipes usually call for a deglazing process/sauce making over the stove after pork loin is removed from the oven. I don't do a lot of slow cooking other than pasta sauce and soups which I make 3 recipes at a time so use a very large pot I alread have. I have a 13" Calphalon One nonstick chefs skillet, but thought the non stick would not be good for this purpose.

Which is better?

5 qt saute pan (with straight edges) or

8 qt dutch oven

The dutch oven appears to have taller sides. Is this overkill for what I need or more versatile?

Also, any bias towards Lodge cast iron, Calphalon One infused anodized, or Le Creuset enamel coated cast iron for this purpose?

Thanks in advance.

Comments (11)

  • kris_zone6
    16 years ago

    Le Creuset would be perfect for this use and many other uses.

  • Bumblebeez SC Zone 7
    16 years ago

    Le Creuset would be perfect, of course, but I have a tri-ply stainless calphlon frying pan that I use for the same purpose and it works great....and it was $29.
    This is a silly question too, sorry! but you need to buy pans for a variety of uses, not just one recipe.

    And there are many options to the pricey Le Creuset! Enameled cast iron is available all over. For the money, go get a Mario Batali pot from Amazon. 6 Quart ( the perfect size for two pork loins) and is highly rated by Cook's Illustrated.

  • gawlt
    Original Author
    16 years ago

    bumblebeez - it is a silly question, isn't it! But it is a "pan" I seem to be missing.

    My 10" cast iron fry pan is too small. I want to avoid using my nonstick pans in the oven as the recipes have the oven at 450 degrees. And my 20 year old Revere Ware SS sauce pots are too small and my soup pots too big...not to mention they can't go in the oven.

    So if I buy a new pan should I go for the high edge 8qt dutch oven or the lower edge (but straight) 5qt saute pan with long handle (I think some people call it a chicken fryer?

    I am concerned that the high edge of the dutch oven may have an effect on cooking the pork tenderloin (novice cook.) At the same time the saute pan may not get much use since I have a non stick 13" chefs skillet (basically high edge fry pan.)

  • fandlil
    16 years ago

    I'm partial to Le Creuset. But they have one limitation. The maximum recommended oven temp is 400 degrees Fahrenheit. They will discolor if you expose them to higher temperatures. But if your recipes call for oven temps of 375-400, they are tops in my opinion, although they are pricey. You should check the max allowed temp against the recipes you want to use.

  • flowerp
    16 years ago

    Hi Gaw1,

    I absolutely love LeCreuset and have a few peices. Based on the end use you are describing I actually use my stainless steel roasting pan for roasting my pork loin(s). It's perfect for searing on the stove transfering to the oven to finish cooking and finally deglazing on the stove top. I have the All Clad Stainless steel roasting pan it is 16 x 13 and is 3 inches deep. The price was around 200. Another alternate at half the price is the Calphalon roasting pan that is 16 x 13 and is 4 inches deep. Since this was a major investment I visited a couple of stores to compare quality. You should also visit www.cooking.com and look up roasting pan they have several options. Read the customers feedback which I find helpful.

    Good luck.

    Flower

  • suzyq3
    16 years ago

    Going with your stated biases, I would say that the best pan for your recipe and for a variety of uses would be the Calphalon One 5-quart saute pan. I think you are absolutely correct to worry about the high sides of a dutch oven for this use.

  • Joe Blowe
    16 years ago

    "I'm partial to Le Creuset. But they have one limitation. The maximum recommended oven temp is 400 degrees Fahrenheit. They will discolor if you expose them to higher temperatures."

    Wrong. Le Creuset cast iron cookware will handle temperatures, without discoloration, that far exceed what a residential oven can put out. Just think what temperature the glaze was fired at!

    However, it is the phenolic (plastic) knob that will be damaged in temps above 375F.

  • cat_mom
    16 years ago

    Ah, but if you get the satin black Le Creuset, it comes with a SS knob which can go in the max. allowed temp for LC's....... (you can also purchase the SS knobs sep. and rplace the phenolic knob with a SS one if desired...food for thought).

  • blondelle
    16 years ago

    I think the two best pans for what you want to do is the enameled cast iron Le Creuset buffet casserole in either 2.5 or 3.5 qts. It's really a two loop handled frypan with a domed lid. An awesome pan. A regular cast iron Dutch over is too high for what you want to do. The other choice would be the All-Clad 10" petite braiser. The same pan but in clad stainless steel. KA also has one you can pick up cheap on Amazon, but no domed lid which makes it more useful. Calphalon has one too, but again no domed lid which lets you braise higher items too. Both of these first two pans mentioned will last you a lifetime!

  • gawlt
    Original Author
    16 years ago

    Thank you all. This is exactly what I needed! Pork loin dilemma solved. You all are a great group.

  • lindac
    16 years ago

    I do my pork loins in a Le Cruset oval gratin pan....no lid...no phenolic knob...and it goes from stove top to oven...no prob.
    And it's been in use in my kitchen for about 2 years.
    Linda C