The BP long read, musing on the past, present, and future of our pans.

WINTER FOWL

WINTER FOWL

At the turn of the 20th century, iron foundries were commonplace around the Chesapeake Bay. In fact, here, one of the first furnaces in the United States—Principio Ironworks—supplied cannons and cannon balls to American troops during the Revolutionary War and War of 1812 before creating products based on its stone’s throw proximity to some of the world’s best waterfowl hunting grounds: cast-iron decoys.

December 20, 2021
THANKS BE TO OYSTERS

THANKS BE TO OYSTERS

Looking out over our backyard on the Eastern Shore of Maryland, there is a quiet creek where the past, present, and future of the Chesapeake Bay converge. By the first of November, most local watermen have traded their crabbing pots for a single iron oyster dredge, and their deadrise workboats will now ply the brackish waters in search of an iconic keystone species.

November 23, 2021
THE MAN, THE MYTH, THE LEGEND

THE MAN, THE MYTH, THE LEGEND

We know he’s not exactly a household name, but we owe a lot to Benjamin Thompson. Sir Benjamin Thompson, to be exact, though known by most as Count Rumford is the man to thank for most of our modern meals, our 21st century kitchens, and—without a doubt—our cast iron. (He was also a bit of a turncoat, but that’s another story.)

October 27, 2021
OLD FRIENDS

OLD FRIENDS

Most of you have probably seen our many references to the Cowboy Cauldron Company. Some of you have even noticed that our Lili skillet has its logo on the bottom. Well, we thought it was about time that we offered an explanation, as usual, in the form of a story. Having to do with campfires and canoes and two bona fide firebugs.
March 18, 2021
THE GREAT TALL TALE

THE GREAT TALL TALE

It almost seems like common knowledge: Cast iron is a thing of the American South, as much a part of the region’s sense of place as the fried chicken or corn bread it cooks. But the thing is, cast iron is actually not a Southern invention. (To be technical, the medium tracks back to sixth-century China, but that’s another story.)
February 24, 2020
THE SCIENCE OF CAST IRON

THE SCIENCE OF CAST IRON

Sean Brock has been called many things—visionary chef, farm-to-table hero, Southern culinary revivalist, agricultural anthropologist—and we’ll add one more, which anyone who has eaten at his renowned McCrady’s in Charleston already knows: mad scientist. We chat with him about the thermodynamic properties behind the pan.
November 22, 2019
THE INCREDIBLE EGG

THE INCREDIBLE EGG

Maybe you knew it as “eggs in toast.” “Eggs in a hole,” or “eggs in a frame.” Or perhaps the more common but still curious “toad in a hole,” or “frog in a pond.” But whatever your family called it, at some point in your life, you ate this egg dish of many names.
October 21, 2019
NUMBERS GAME

NUMBERS GAME

What’s in a number? It’s a question commonly asked when it comes to cast iron, as these symbols—6s, 8s, 10s, and so on—were often inscribed onto the handle or bottom of many an antique pan.
August 30, 2019
LIFE, LIBERTY, AND THE PURSUIT OF CAST IRON

LIFE, LIBERTY, AND THE PURSUIT OF CAST IRON

We know we might be a little biased, but we’ve said it before and we’ll say it again, especially coming out of the historic month of July that holds our great nation’s Independence Day: the cast-iron skillet should be on the American flag. 
August 06, 2019
LEGS AND ALL

LEGS AND ALL

Cooking soft-shell crabs, there is no right or wrong way—sautéed, grilled, fried—but there are a few tips to save you time and trouble. Whatever you’ve been taught, know that size doesn’t matter. Just always buy them live, preferably cleaned, and keep them on ice until it’s time.
June 11, 2019
MUST LOVE DOGS

MUST LOVE DOGS

There’s a bit of an unofficial motto around here at the Butter Pat offices. Three simple words that sum up who we are as people, and as a company, and the kind we like to keep. It might say more about our ethos than any marketing team could make up. And we have a feeling, if you’re cooking on cast iron, you might abide by the maxim, too.
April 26, 2019
OUT OF THE ORDINARY

OUT OF THE ORDINARY

It all started with a broken pan. Here we were, along the edge of the Chesapeake Bay, and there it sat, on the ground before us. “A black pan,” as our grandmother, Estee, used to nonchalantly call it—a 10-inch, unmarked hunk of cast iron that held little if any value, except of course, that it was hers—nearly split in two.

March 14, 2019