Cast Iron Skillet

[homebrewd]

I only ever use cast iron for meat and sauteeing veggies. Eggs and anything with sauce go in a stainless pan. Cleaning the cast iron consists of dumping coarse kosher salt in it to absorb excess oil and serve as the abrasive for removing any remaining bits. Wiped clean and requench with oil.

Always preheated to temp for whatever I'm cooking. Never use any water unless it is absolutely necessary and it is requenched any time that happens.

My 12" pan I got at an estate sale in rough rusty condition for $5. Used my charcoal grill heated to ~600 and quenched it several times and it was basically good as new when I was done.

[old goat]

Checking in to say that, other than my little egg skillet which gets used at least a half dozen times per week, I have been using my 2 lodge carbon steel skillets more than any of my my cast iron lately. They have both matured into outstanding cooking tools and I can't recommend them highly enough. I can't remember the last time I used an old school Teflon (or similar) non stick pan.

I'll have to give that a try. I have a couple of carbon steel woks that have a nice black patina ("wok ho"), cook beautifully, and don't stick.

[house]

Edit add: I just followed the suggestion of a reviewer on Amazon re: removing beeswax. Heated the oven to 250. Lined a cookie sheet with foil and placed the pan on it then put the whole thing in the oven for 5 mins. Pulled it out and wiped it off - voilà! Wax off!

Which of the 1.9 million seasoning methods are you using? I am close to de-waxing a new carbon steel pan, and this lady seems to have a good (but time-intensive) method using flaxseed oil: http://sherylcanter.com/wordpress/20...ing-cast-iron/

[BCMtnHound]

Not sure why anyone uses coarse salt to clean their CI. I just fill the skillet 1/2 full with water, back on the stove, and bring to a boil (or 5 min longer for heavily burnt on goodness). Dump in the sink and scrub with a standard dishwashing bristlebrush, using old water to rinse. No damage to the coating that the food doesn’t do on its own.

[KQ]

Which of the 1.9 million seasoning methods are you using? I am close to de-waxing a new carbon steel pan, and this lady seems to have a good (but time-intensive) method using flaxseed oil: http://sherylcanter.com/wordpress/20...ing-cast-iron/

I could not find flaxseed oil at Huckleberries or Super 1 today so I went with grape seed oil. They did have hemp seed oil - laughed at that and half considered it but no.

I did it on the stove top x2. Def. got darker and feels slick. Will try frying my morning egg in it tomorrow and get back to you on how it went. A CS seasoning TR as it were.

Good read - she sounds obsessive like me when something strikes my interest. LOL!

Funny she should say Lard is not readily available - I see that ever where. Heck, Huckleberries had Buffalo Tallow. WTF? I thought for sure they would have flaxseed but no. Could have probably picked it up at a feed store as it is frequently used as a supplement for livestock.

Check out what I just found:

KitCast Natural Cast Iron Flax Oil with Free eBook

[KQ]

Well shit..... all these years I've been slowly killing myself with smoking oil. Guess I really don't need to worry about that Chinese made vape because I've been cooking my goose for years now.

From the article house linked:

I knew that when cooking, you should never heat an oil past its smoke point because that causes the release of “free radicals”, which are carcinogenic. I was careful not to choose a polyunsaturated oil – and especially not an oil high in omega-3 fatty acids – because these are especially vulnerable to breakdown with heat and the release of free radicals.

[Jong Lafitte]

Well shit..... all these years I've been slowly killing myself with smoking oil. Guess I really don't need to worry about that Chinese made vape because I've been cooking my goose for years now.

From the article house linked:

I knew that when cooking, you should never heat an oil past its smoke point because that causes the release of “free radicals”, which are carcinogenic. I was careful not to choose a polyunsaturated oil – and especially not an oil high in omega-3 fatty acids – because these are especially vulnerable to breakdown with heat and the release of free radicals.

Sounds like a metaphor for keeping the proletariat appeased.

[nickwm21]

I love my cast iron for searing, pan-frying, stovetop-to-oven recipes, or just cooking hardier veggies and thicker meats where the even heating and quality browning are important.

I don’t understand the whole “I can fry an egg in my cast iron without it sticking!” Thing.

The only hard part about frying an egg is making it not stick.

It’s requires a decent effort to make your cast iron perfectly seasoned to the point where a raw egg will not stick.

The benefits of cast iron; even heating, better browning... don’t have any affect on frying an egg.

That $10 Walmart nonstick will fry an egg easier than your cast iron. You will be able to turn the egg with no utensils, just a flip of the wrist.


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[Danno]

Not sure why anyone uses coarse salt to clean their CI. I just fill the skillet 1/2 full with water, back on the stove, and bring to a boil (or 5 min longer for heavily burnt on goodness). Dump in the sink and scrub with a standard dishwashing bristlebrush, using old water to rinse. No damage to the coating that the food doesn’t do on its own.

Same

I love my cast iron for searing, pan-frying, stovetop-to-oven recipes, or just cooking hardier veggies and thicker meats where the even heating and quality browning are important.

I don’t understand the whole “I can fry an egg in my cast iron without it sticking!” Thing.

The only hard part about frying an egg is making it not stick.

It’s requires a decent effort to make your cast iron perfectly seasoned to the point where a raw egg will not stick.

The benefits of cast iron; even heating, better browning... don’t have any affect on frying an egg.

That $10 Walmart nonstick will fry an egg easier than your cast iron. You will be able to turn the egg with no utensils, just a flip of the wrist.


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Is there some advantage to using cast iron for frying an egg? No. Is being able to do so indicative of very good seasoning? Yes. Is there an advantage to having a pan you can use for pretty much anything? Yes.

So no, don't need it for eggs, but I still use it for them, simply because my cast iron pans are the pans I use every day

[MakersTeleMark]

If I'm going to fry an egg, and that's not a fried egg, but a perfect over easy, I'm going to use my 25 year old all clad, with a drizzle of oil and a pad of butter.

I can flip that thing quicker than a hippy at shakedown street.

If I want to put a quick meal together with a hint of soul, you know that silky black master is in control.

Use the right tool for the job. Nostalgia has nothing to do with it.

[SB]

Free radicals, they had a top ten hit back in the 60's.

[homebrewd]

Not sure why anyone uses coarse salt to clean their CI. I just fill the skillet 1/2 full with water, back on the stove, and bring to a boil (or 5 min longer for heavily burnt on goodness). Dump in the sink and scrub with a standard dishwashing bristlebrush, using old water to rinse. No damage to the coating that the food doesn’t do on its own.

Because it's a porous surface that rusts with excessive water even when it is well seasoned.

[KQ]

TR!

Eggs turned out perfect on my new CS freshly seasoned pan! Slid around in the pan like it was silicone. Heated it up, fried up a strip of bacon, wiped it out, added a little butter and fried up my egg (over easy).

[m2711c]

needs moar bacons.....

[uglymoney]

That looks awesome KQ!

Count me amongst the two skillet crowd though. I can't seem to keep my cast iron skillet perfect. My wife always uses too much heat on purpose and I do accidentally and that causes build up. Love it but I use a non stick for my eggs. Easier. Lazier. I aspire to grind cast iron skillet down and start from scratch again, again. Someday I will nail it.

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[KQ]

needs moar bacons.....

LOL! Yeah.... keeping it light. I'm a carb whore hence the hashbrowns and sour dough toast.

That looks awesome KQ!

Count me amongst the two skillet crowd though. I can't seem to keep my cast iron skillet perfect. My wife always uses too much heat on purpose and I do accidentally and that causes build up. Love it but I use a non stick for my eggs. Easier. Lazier. I aspire to grind cast iron skillet down and start from scratch again, again. Someday I will nail it.

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The pan I used was carbon steel not CI (in case you didn't catch that)

This is what I used:



https://www.kingarthurflour.com/shop...el-crpe-pan-95

[uglymoney]

I didn't catch that thanks.

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[KQ]

I didn't catch that thanks.

Sorry... we started diverging into CS yesterday.

[RShea]

I love my cast iron for searing, pan-frying, stovetop-to-oven recipes, or just cooking hardier veggies and thicker meats where the even heating and quality browning are important.

I don’t understand the whole “I can fry an egg in my cast iron without it sticking!” Thing.

The only hard part about frying an egg is making it not stick.

It’s requires a decent effort to make your cast iron perfectly seasoned to the point where a raw egg will not stick.

The benefits of cast iron; even heating, better browning... don’t have any affect on frying an egg.

That $10 Walmart nonstick will fry an egg easier than your cast iron. You will be able to turn the egg with no utensils, just a flip of the wrist.

One major problem with any $10 Walmart pan is they will and do eventually get to a point of scratching or if you get them too hot, then the release major toxic chemicals. The cheap ones are usually Teflon, but some of the better ones out there (ie not $10 Walmart pans) are a better non-stick coating. How long will any $10 Walmart pan last - even if you take very good care of it, use plastic or scratchless utensils, and never overheat it at all- still probably will not last 5 or so years. CI can last your lifetime and beyond. Look at Griswold Manufacturing CI- the company closed in 1957 and the 2 pans we have are still cooking away and with proper care could cook up an egg without issue...

[Danno]

Because it's a porous surface that rusts with excessive water even when it is well seasoned.

Doesn't rust at all if you dry it fully. I wash all of them with water, no rust, I promise

[homebrewd]

Doesn't rust at all if you dry it fully. I wash all of them with water, no rust, I promise

It's habit at this point. I have a couple months worth of bacon and chicken thighs built up in that bad boy.

[RShea]

Because it's a porous surface that rusts with excessive water even when it is well seasoned.

Yes, it can rust if you leave the water in it too long, and have not seasoned it properly. Regularly rinse the cast iron skillets in some water and then if you wipe it out with a paper towel then it should not rust in the few minutes it takes to rinse and clean...

[Cruiser]

One of the keys for me is cleaning them thoroughly (usually with hot water and a scrubber but no soap) and then warming them on the stove with some fresh oil. Once they're warm and oiled I wipe the inside and outside thoroughly with a paper towel to remove all but the tiniest skim coat of oil and put them away.

[XXX-er]

I just leave em dirty-ish on the stove or in the oven becuz then they are protected from rust until I wana use em again at which point I scrub em with a little water/ no soap and put em on the hot stove ... no rust eva

[My Pet Powder Goat]

I see paper towels being used to season CI. Dumb video I watched said to use a cloth that won't leave lint, I still often paper towels on my black carbon steel skillet since it's smooth as a babies keester, but the rough CI seasoning tears up paper towels

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