OT: Cast Iron Pans

[Ken Robb]

I used to have one but Wife #1 tossed it because she felt it was "never clean". I just bought a new Lodge 12" fry pan. Wife #2 thinks anything loved by Dismas Hardy will be loved by us. It is "pre-seasoned". Can I just wipe it out with a paper towel between uses? The directions say to scrub it with a stiff brush and hot water. I know I'll never let detergent touch it's gnarly surface. :beer: :banana:

[christian]

I use a bit of canola oil and a paper towel. Seems to work ok. I have scrubbed it a few times though, when I've burned something...

[rydesteel]

Hi Ken, cooks Illustrated recommends using flax-seed oil and a lengthy seasoning process. I recommend high heat and a good IA Ribeye, or 2 seasoned with some grey sea salt ;>). My favorite pan when it's too cold to grill.

Frank

[zetroc]

A little oil, low heat, and scrape with a metal spatula, then wipe out the detritus and excess oil with a paper towel and let it cool.

Cast iron will treat you as well as you treat it. I love it.

[Ken Robb]

one thing that rekindled my interest was eating blackened rib eyes with pals. The husband does lots of great New Orleans dishes and he cooks his blackened dishes on a cast iron skillet on his Weber Kettle so the smoke/stink stays outside. I've never been happy with my potatoes O'Brien done on Teflon.

[oliver1850]

I have one I use exclusively for tortillas.

[scoobydrew]

I love cast iron pans/skillets!

As a kid, my grandma used to make the best hashbrowns with her old school skillet.

They're also great for steaks as many have mentioned here. SEAR both sides on the stove top, then toss it in the oven. Sure produces a lot of smoke, but it tastes so dang good!

[1happygirl]

http://forums.thepaceline.net/showthread.php?t=90245

Next time toss the wife. Cast iron is forever! :hello:

[Kevan]

The Dutch ovens weigh heavy too. Occasional scrubs might be called for, but reseasons are simple.

Only thing I avoid doing in iron are eggs.

[Ken Robb]

http://forums.thepaceline.net/showthread.php?t=90245

Next time toss the wife. Cast iron is forever! :hello:

You will notice I wrote "wife #1 tossed the skillet" not Wife #2 who thinks whatever I do in the kitchen and what I do it with is dandy. :)

[Ken Robb]

The Dutch ovens weigh heavy too. Occasional scrubs might be called for, but reseasons are simple.

Only thing I avoid doing in iron are eggs.

Why no eggs?

[keevon]

I do eggs in my cast iron all the time. Actually prefer it to the All-Clad.

[Kevan]

I just find that using a Teflon pan with eggs is easier and requires less butter/marj/fat (whatever) to avoid sticking.

[craptacular]

If you cook anything acidic and notice a metallic taste, season it some more. Also, don't worry too much about soap. I occasionally use detergent (7th generation or something else very mild) and make sure to rinse it well, dry it and then crank up the heat and salt and season it.

[sbparker31]

A little oil, low heat, and scrape with a metal spatula, then wipe out the detritus and excess oil with a paper towel and let it cool.

Cast iron will treat you as well as you treat it. I love it.

Sorry zetroc but I'd rather eat a blackened rib eye than detritus any day. :D

[palincss]

I used to use salt, as described here:
http://whatscookingamerica.net/Information/SaltCleaning.htm

[Ahneida Ride]

I have at least one that is over 50 years old.

It is so black .. that you can scrub it for hours with Brillo and
it remains black .... great cooking pan.

[mister]

If you cook anything acidic and notice a metallic taste, season it some more. Also, don't worry too much about soap. I occasionally use detergent (7th generation or something else very mild) and make sure to rinse it well, dry it and then crank up the heat and salt and season it.

yeah i use mild soap as well.

[Hardlyrob]

When they are new I do the oven seasoning technique. As I use them I re-season on the stove top every now an then - wipe in some oil with a paper towel, heat it until it just begins to smoke, wipe out the excess oil and let it cool.

Cleaning with salt also works well - it acts as an abrasive since it won't dissolve in oil.

Well seasoned iron pans rule for eggs. Some restaurants have specific egg pans that if you put water in them you can be fired. I can make omelets with no spatula in the small iron pan.

Happy Eating!

Rob

[johnnymossville]

my wife hates my cast iron pan. It takes two hands just to lift the thing.

I love it for making steaks and burgers, bacon and eggs, etc,....

[jr59]

Alright you guys, You need to stop this stuff right now!

I'm a fat guy and am trying to lose some, AND THIS THREAD
MAKES ME HUNGRY!

DRAT ON ALL YOU THIN GUYS!

:banana:

[zetroc]

Sorry zetroc but I'd rather eat a blackened rib eye than detritus any day. :D

What a coincidence, I bought some ribeyes last night... :beer:

Oh, and cast iron is great for eggs. Once it's properly seasoned it'll be more nonstick than any teflon pan, and it'll look like black glass.

[Nautilus]

I've found that the only way to really season a cast iron skillet is to use it.
There's a big difference between putting the skillet in an oven with some oil, and the seasoning that occurs through use.

The most important thing is that you have a proper metal spatula with a flat sharp edge. This allows you to scrape the rough peaks off of the carbon left behind from cooked food, but it also leaves behind carbon in the valleys of the casting.

What you're left with if you use this spatula to clean your skillet is a very nice flat smooth surface.

You'll be able to tell that this process is occurring more by feel than appearance, as you start to scrape the skillet it will feel very rough under the spatula, but after a few passes you're left with a nice flat smooth surface.

Anything acidic should be avoided as well, it destroys the seasoning.

[zetroc]

Oh yeah - new Lodges are OK but you'll really want to check out flea markets and antique stores for some formerly cherished heirlooms. They often need work but will do very well with some elbow grease and patience. Just make sure they're not cracked and you're good to go.

I've got one skillet that cost me $10 and is about 100 years old, and it's amazing.

[flydhest]

I used to use salt, as described here:
http://whatscookingamerica.net/Information/SaltCleaning.htm

+1
If you need to scrub, put a small pile of coarse salt in the pan, add oil, then take a paper towel. It works like a scrubbing pad and will clean anything/everything off without getting rid of the finish. Then rinse in hot water and dry on the stove. I wipe a thin layer of oil on when it is hot and dry.

[djg]

I used to use salt, as described here:
http://whatscookingamerica.net/Information/SaltCleaning.htm

Yeah, coarse kosher salt, especially if there's any bits of food or fond left in the pan.

[Karin Kirk]

One of the great things about cast iron pans is that they are so dang cheap. A $20 Lodge pan is just as reliable as a $100 All-Clad (albeit for different purposes).

Eggs? Definitely!
Soapy water? Sure, but with prudence and re-season afterward.
Acid foods? Definitely not. Use another pan for that.

One accessory that helps is the little sleeve for the handles because they do get hot, especially on the smaller pans.

Happy cooking! :)

[572cv]

My approach to seasoning the pans we've had seemingly forever : When new, oil (olive is what I use, but there are other high heat veg oils). Get the pan hot, let it cool down and scrub it out with a pile of salt and paper towels. Just regular salt crystals or sea salt, what ever you have. The salt absorbs the excess oil. You may have to do this periodically after something sticks, but after a while, you end up with a pan which you can generally wash with a scrubby, soap and hot water. Periodically, reseasoning is an easy thing, and by periodically, at this point I mean every few years. Your pans will be a delight to cook in. A cast iron crepe or pancake pan contributes to yummy results too.

[Ozz]

my wife hates my cast iron pan. It takes two hands just to lift the thing.....
+1

My wife won't use any of our good cookware cuz it is too heavy to lift. :rolleyes:

BTW - there's nothing like cornbread baked in a cast iron skillet. Grease the inside with generous amt of butter ("Smart Balance" spread is what I use) and pour in the batter....it's not a "health food" to start with, so why not make sure it tastes good? :beer:

Side benefit is that it nicely seasons the pan too.....

Clean with hot water and scrub brush....add salt if really crusty. Wipe with oil. FWIW - Olive oil is not a "high heat" oil, so probably not the best to use. Besides, canola is much less expensive.

[majorpat]

My Maine grandmother called hers a "spider"