Emerilware Cast Iron Sizzle Plate with Trivet

I come from a family of meat eaters. Okay, maybe pack is a better word than family. We include meat as preference for holiday gifts. We drive hours to rendezvous with the “meat fairy” during hunting season. The idea of vegetarianism has only been explored by one black sheep and to tell you the truth – I know she doesn’t stick to it. We’re a hardwired bunch. She’s sneaking bacon at the very least.

So when it comes to perfecting a recipe, we all get a little nuts. My brother will spend hours making sausage – from scratch. This is not normal. I know that. We have orgies of meatfests once a year, ah who am I kidding, once every few months. We compete for the greatest new meat recipes. Simplicity, we have found, is key. Great cuts of meat don’t need fanfare, just good company and wine. So it came as no surprise to me that he’s been dreaming of a sizzle-dish, as we refer to these beauties. And despite my fear of bandwagonning (note the new word invention), Emeril’s is one of the nicest. Because my little carnivores, cast iron is key. Properly seasoned and cared for – this thing should outlive my brother and I easily (especially with our diets).

It can go anywhere and cook anything you want. This is not a sissy item. Toss it into a burning building if you want, but go in after it. I’m serious. Throw a chicken right after it. Campfires. Grills. Ovens. Stovetops. Stick it under the broiler before you toss your steak on it for a great live sizzle presentation. I can hear my ancestors weeping for joy.

It will cook for you, serve and warm your very heart with its diligence. I think Emiril’s even comes with a warranty. I scoff. This thing should last centuries. It’ll outlive all of us. It comes pre-seasoned, too. Which is nice. Seasoning a cast iron pan isn’t hard but does take effort. And people – care for it tenderly! Read the directions. No soapy water soaks. No dishwashers. Just pour some salt and rub it clean with a paper towel – think of it as a long lost love. Handle it with the reverence a large hunk of indestructible metal deserves – when you taste the difference it makes in a quick sauté or stovetop steak, you’ll understand why. I’m drooling now. I have to stop.

The carnivores in my life want these badly, and I do too. The great wood trivet fits like a glove and well, to my family at least – nothing says lovin’ like cast iron, wood and meat. My brother, the cheapest guy in the world, just ordered some cheap version with plastic plate forms. He’ll regret it. I promise you. Nothing holds heat better than cast iron. Nothing conducts heat for fabulous cooking like cast iron. Quite simply, if you cook carnivorous and haven’t explored getting a cast iron pan – let alone serving platter – you’re way behind the curve kids. [Emerilware Cast Iron Sizzle Plate with Trivet]