Thread: Cast iron?

I got this grilling pan as a gift. I decided to put some hotdogs in it for the grilled flavor and grill marks and lo and behold they turn themselves.

While in Tampa yesterday for the hockey game we stopped by La Segunda Bakery and picked up loaves of Cuban bread for sandwiches: Ybor City Cubanos to be specific. The one thing I lack is a sandwich press.
Fortunately this worked out well.

Red clam sauce on linguine

Only thing this pan has ever been or ever will be used for.
When I put it on the burner and warm it up the room is filled with the smell of the sauce before I have even put anything in it.

Oh...also make green bean almondine to go with it.

Originally Posted by PaulFLUS

Oh...also make green bean almondine to go with it.

I like your cast iron frying pan Paul.
I had one too, no one told me they didn't go it the dishwasher and it hasn't really been the same since.

The nice thing about them is you can't really destroy it. Worst case you strip it to bare steel and start over with a complete re-season.

This one I dug out of the dirt.


Only the corner was showing and I didn't even know what it was until I unearthed it. I scrubbed it clean with a wire brush, washed it well and reseasoned it and now it is one of my best pans. If you do a search online you can find many sites that show how. Here is what Lodge has to say:

https://www.lodgecastiron.com/discov...bout-seasoning

Originally Posted by STF

I like your cast iron frying pan Paul.
I had one too, no one told me they didn't go it the dishwasher and it hasn't really been the same since.

All you should need to do is clean and then reseason it.

I prefer a beeswax based seasoning.

Originally Posted by 32t

All you should need to do is clean and then reseason it.

I prefer a beeswax based seasoning.

so do i never wash it at all, ever?

Well, anyone who uses Cento San Marzanos is obviously a very wise and skilled cook and is OK in my book.

Any oil will work. I have used a bunch of different ones and have stuck with lard as that is the one I personally think works best...for me. As per usual though YMMV. The only reason you might have to, or rather choose to go back to bare metal is if large chunks of the seasoning coat are chipping off or if something caustic has gotten under it; that or you just want a fresh start. The heat will kill anything organic and the oil will fill in the crevices. Really it is usually best to just keep calm and carry on as the pan improves as it is used, all of which has been said. Just an alternative to what Mike said, I use plain hot water and a soft nylon kitchen brush. after that I put mine on the stove on low-medium to dry out all the moisture then put a small gob of lard on a paper towel and coat the inside.

The other important thing is to warm the pan thoroughly before putting any food in it, That gives it good anti-stick properties. I had to laugh when "anti-stick coated" pans came out. They act like it was some new invention. HA! what do you think the seasoning on a cast iron pan is? People just don't know how to use one or are too impatient to wait for the pan to warm up properly. The rule of thumb I use is, once the handle is warm, almost too hot to touch, then the pan is ready, THEN put your oil in IF you even need it. Usually you won't if you coated the pan properly when you put it away.

EDIT: Oh, I should add that the one exception to the lard is that I use olive oil on my clam sauce pan. That pan though is a special purpose pan.