Thinking outside the box - aebleskiver pan

So I'm always looking for new ways to use my cast iron cookware.

I have a Lodge aebleskiver pan (pictured above), which is supposed to be for making aebleskivers, which I've never done before. It's basically a pancake ball, a popular treat in Denmark.

I've seen these pans called "egg poachers"; I imagine if the cups were bigger, you could poach eggs, but they're a bit too small for that.

So far I've used it to make brownies and small muffins.

But tonight, when I was about to grill my spare ribs on the stove (for which I usually use the grill pan), I noticed that the rib slabs were small enough to fit on the aebleskiver pan, and why not use that to grill my ribs tonight? After all, the drippings would go into the little cups, and it can certainly use the seasoning right now.

So that's exactly what I did! After grilling each slab, I transferred it to a small preheated griddle in the oven, like I always do. The last slab I just popped into the oven on the aebleskiver pan.

I'm not sure anyone else has ever thought of grilling ribs on something meant to cook Danish pancake balls... but, I just did!

I'm sure this pan can also be used for tiny biscuits or rolls, but I prefer my biscuits a little bigger. Or you could spoon your favorite cake mix in each cup, and bake for a little treat.

I just discovered a "takoyaki pan", which looks just like this pan, for making Japanese dumplings stuffed with veggies or shrimp. I never heard of a takoyaki pan, let alone knew I owned one!

But the idea of using this pan for oysters rockefeller has sparked my interest, since I've never made that before. Time for another adventure!