Thread: Cast iron?

Originally Posted by Benz

When I get a vintage pan I take it to a shop that soda blasts the crud off. Then I re-season as per Glen's technique. Only one pan gave me fits after re-seasoning and that was a Wagner I intended to use only for breakfast meat. The problem was me. I was trying to fry maple cured bacon in it too soon after the seasoning process. The sugar in the bacon was carmelizing and everything stuck to the pan like glue. I gave the pan a good scrubbing and re-seasoning Glen's way then I used that pan to fry hash browns for a week and took it back to the bacon. Problem solved. No more sticking meat and it will slip eggs perfect.

I think this has always been the cause of my frustration with seasoning pans. I've tried seasoning with the thinnest of applications for half a dozen coats or more, mainly because I thought it wasn't building up enough to become non stick immediately. It's almost more like a two step process where you do the base seasoning, then temper it cooking certain foods. Honing then stropping if you will.

The important thing is to cook with it and apply thin layers of food safe oil and fat before and after.
It is cast iron and cast iron is durable...

Have fun, keep the heat near medium when cooking most things.

^^^ This is a fact!!!

Start at lower temps and work your way up if you need to. They don't cool down quickly when cooking

Sometimes you just have to make Bread

Started the dough before heading out on the boat the other day.

We stopped on the way home picked up cheeses, and a log of pepperoni
Got home tossed the DO in the oven to heat up, punched down the dough and popped it in to bake while we put away the things of the day..
Pulled it outta the oven cut up the cheese and pepperoni poured some Merlot and cut into the crusty steaming loaf..
Smothered with Amish Rolled Butter we watched TV and stuffed ourselves


You gotta love a time tested simple recipe for bread

4 cups Flour Sifted if you can
1 Packet Yeast
3 tsp Kosher salt to taste
1 tsp Baking Powder

450° 45 min in closed DO remove top,, and bake 10-15 minutes longer to perfect Golden Brown top

The trick to these breads is dropping the dough into the hot DO that steam is what makes the bread
You can use Parchment paper if you don't trust your DO not to stick. I also coat the DO and the dough with EVOO right before I drop it and sprinkle the top with Kosher Salt too

Cutting the Cross on the top is recommended to allow for full rise but I forget about 50% of the time

Also my second time using the Wheat Montana Flour, I used it in a Pizza Dough recipe on Sat night for a Cast Iron Pizza
Not bad at all, not totally sold yet but I like it

Aloha!

I make bread in my little camping dutch oven all the time when at campsite. It's one of the primary reasons I bought it for camping.... well, that and for making peach cobbler. Very similar ingredients as yours on bread. Yep, tried and true recipe for sure.

Now you have me wanting to make some dutch oven bread!

-Zip

That is a great looking piece of bread, but you know what? After reading the story, it really is the simple pleasures of life like a simple yet honemade bread and cheese along with a glass of wine with a life partner to be happy with, and that Shannon is a peach my friend, I believe I,ll go kiss my wife! Tc

From time to time I need to clean a pan.
This old brand seems to do the trick. It almost polishes the seasoning for me.
If you need to scrub hard this could be the ticket.

Modern owners of old pans may have no clue how the prize in hand
got so smooth. Orbital sanders are new. Elbow grease is old school.

These are fondly named by the wife "Egg "Merc"Muffins"

Some Black Steel pans



11" Lodge Griddle
8" Skillet



My new Silicone Egg Ring



Fresh Local Duck Eggs



And Viola' Egg MercMuffin is built









Mmmmmmm


Have a great long weekend Gents

I have some CI pans and a nice Dutch oven i believe its called. How do you clean a used pan to re-season it?

Hey Glen, we have the same fine patterned china