Thread: can you fry an egg in cast iron

We usually nuke the bacon because we have trouble cooking it in the pan and then the eggs, or both at the same time. So, both at the same time? Bacon First then eggs? We always burn the eggs in the bacon grease so the temp should be lower?

My chromed Griswold #9 with matching lid lives on my stove top.

If I'm cooking - that's what I'm cooking in (unless it's a Dutch oven meal (Griswold or Wagner) or something that requires the pressure cooker magic.

Anyhow - do the bacon first - then poach the eggs in the bacon grease on medium low heat. No need to cook eggs at any settings higher than 4 in cast iron.

As other members said - warm up the pan to temp first (3 or 4 mins). If you want pretty white eggs (and are shooting bacon blanks that day ) scrub out the pan with hot water and copper wool. Then heat it up & wipe it with new shortening or a good high temp oil (canola is good - don't use olive oil it can't handle the heat) and the eggs will look picture perfect.

The real cat's meow is to find a cast iron pan with a lid. I cook my sunnyside eggs in only 2 minutes with the lid on - and the yolks are nice and warm and the whites are still nice and creamy.

CRAP - now I'm hungry again. Think I'll go make some eggs-

i have bacon now. i have a few lids will try that with the eggs.

Originally Posted by nessmuck

I have some cast iron pans that have had some food burnt in them (spaced it a few times).My Question is how to clean them and start from scratch. I have tried sea salt scrubbing and soap with a scrub,but its not getn it done. What to do???????

Fill it with water and boil it loose, I dont care what it is, it will come out, no need to scrub, use soap or re season.

Originally Posted by AfterShaver

We usually nuke the bacon because we have trouble cooking it in the pan and then the eggs, or both at the same time. So, both at the same time? Bacon First then eggs? We always burn the eggs in the bacon grease so the temp should be lower?

Cook the bacon first at the higher temp, when you flip the bacon over, turn the heat down, the pan will slowly cool while the bacon is getting done, once the bacon is done the skillet should be ready for your eggs. May take a few tries before getting it right but the results will be worth it. As a matter of fact, when I flip my eggs I turn the stove off, the skillet will retain enough heat quite easily to finish the eggs.

what my family has done for years to clean cast iron, is scrape out big chunks, of what ever your cooking, quick wipe with paper towel and let cool, but while cooling put in a tablespoon of lard, none of the vegatable based oils, if oils were meant to be made from plants, they would have fat and legs on them. when about to use said pan scrape out cooled lard and use as normal. i have pans my grandmother use and have never touched water or soap since they were bought. and they are still perfectly seasoned.

as for frying eggs and bacon, i use two cast iron pans, the eggs i put just a touch of lard(btw pure lard i love) and cook eggs at medium heat! and enjoy!

[QUOTE=nun2sharp;648849I have some cast iron pans that have had some food burnt in them (spaced it a few times).My Question is how to clean them and start from scratch. I have tried sea salt scrubbing and soap with a scrub,but its not getn it done. What to do???????[/QUOTE]

If you ever wind up with pans that are far too crusty - or a tag sale buy & you just want to start over here is what I do:

Get a trash bag and some oven cleaner (EZ off is great). It's basically lye anyhow. Spray coat the pan real real good - put it in trash bag & let it sit for a few hours or a day with the bag closed. Pull the pan out - hose off & season. Easy as pie.

Originally Posted by hgrail

If you ever wind up with pans that are far too crusty - or a tag sale buy & you just want to start over here is what I do:

Get a trash bag and some oven cleaner (EZ off is great). It's basically lye anyhow. Spray coat the pan real real good - put it in trash bag & let it sit for a few hours or a day with the bag closed. Pull the pan out - hose off & season. Easy as pie.

i tryed the oven cleaner in a bag. its ok but soaking it in a lye bath is much easier and less messy. do it outside. but i use to do it as a business and i cleaned and seasoned 100`s of pans. you can take the nastiest pan and make it look new. dave

To cook an egg in a pan that is not non-stick it is best to use 'clarified butter', clean bacon fat, or a light olive oil.
To clarify butter, melt butter slowly. pour into a narrow cup. Skim off the white foamy stuff. Chill the glass in the fridge til the butter fat hardens, then remove the fat from the cup. (run a knife around the sides.) Water will pour out from under the butter fat. Gently rinse off any remaining white stuff. Now you have pure butter fat.
Another option is to just melt the butter and simmer very slowy until the water is evaporated and the foam sinks to the bottom of the pan, then pour the clear butter fat off the top.
If you want to cook with bacon fat, make sure you strain out any brown particles.
Heat the pan thouroughly, but not at a high temp. (I set my electric stove a 3.5 and leave there for 10 minutes) If you put your fat in and it smokes it is too hot.
Use an adequate amount of fat. Just enough to coat the bottom of the pan, with maybe a teaspoon or two remaining. After putting in the fat let it heat up again (30 seconds)
Add the eggs, and turn the heat up a notch, literally, 1 notch (4.5).
Let the whites solidify enough to hold the yolk in place, then flip, or turnover.
That's it.

Interesting approach. I have never tried to clarify butter - I may have to give that a shot.

Not sure I could wait 10 mins to start cooking (did I mention I'm impatient).

Usually what I'll do is preheat the pan with the lid on at setting 5 for four minutes, and as soon as I drop the eggs into the pan I'll turn the stove down to 4 and cook eggs with lid on for two minutes. Eggs are done sunny side at this point. For over easy eggs flip and wait for another 30 seconds.
All stoves have some variation so as always YMMV.

Cheers