Cast Iron Skillet

[Jymbopalyse]

Next.

We convert you over to the griddle.

 

[Bill Hicklin]

Quick pre-cleaning tip, for when it's really manky: Put in a half-inch of water. Bring to boiling. Toss in a quarter-cup or so of baking soda.

Chemistry!

 

[pnuggett]

Quick pre-cleaning tip, for when it's really manky: Put in a half-inch of water. Bring to boiling. Toss in a quarter-cup or so of baking soda.

Chemistry!

Scientist.

 

[Kamen_Kaiju]

Quick pre-cleaning tip, for when it's really manky: Put in a half-inch of water. Bring to boiling. Toss in a quarter-cup or so of baking soda.

Chemistry!

i just scoop the leftover grease out, by hand.

 

[ehb]

I've some family cast iron WAAAAAAAAAAAAAY older than me and I'm 61....

You don't wash it, you wipe it out.....

Nothing cooks like old cast iron...


Those that don't have cast iron, you can get em cheap at junk shops and such.... usually rusty and hanging on a nail outside..... Go by Tractor Supply, Rural, Lowes, etc. and get a metal wire brush for your rechargeable drill.... get all the rust off, you can use Dawn and hot water this one time to make sure you have everything off of it.... Wipe it down with dry paper towels... Do NOT let it sit to dry, it can rust right in front of you... wipe the entire thing down with oil and cure in the oven...

Then use it repeatedly to fry bacon in... Do NOT wash, wipe it out clean with paper towels.... Use it over and over for bacon..... The minute layers of bacon grease will build up over time filling in all the imperfections of the casting process and slick out the surface....and turn it black...


The old taken care of cast iron is BLACK and shiny. The surface is smooth and slick... Some has been in families for over a hunnert....

 

[Skit]

Cast iron pans are great. If need be you can use it as a weapon just like a telecaster!

 

[brokentoeswalker]

Love them too. I got a saute pan and skillet set where the skillet can be used as a lid for the saute pan.


Added Versatility!!!

 

[jvin248]

Cast iron pans are great. If need be you can use it as a weapon just like a telecaster!

Shopping for weapons of the apocalypse! That's the only downside to cast iron -- too heavy for the bug-out-bag.

Now, don't go freaking if someone washes the cast iron with soap. Just dry it, light coat of oil, then when you use it next just heat it up and put some butter in it. It's easy. The world won't end.

For best non-stick, use oil in the pan from cold heat up, put butter on it when hot, reapply some butter from time to time as you continue making say pan cakes.

Use metal spatulas.

And keep a stainless steel pan (no teflon coating) for doing acidic sauces like tomato-sauce, not the cast iron.

Antique cast iron from yard sales is fun, but you can also find modern stuff in big box stores that will work just as well, and for a lot less.

.

 

[G Man]

Everything tastes better in cast iron. I hadn't seen the chainmale scrubber, gotta get me one of those. I've always used kosher salt as an abrasive when mine needs it.

ETA: They can be used as personal protection as well. One of these bad boys upside the head would take care of most unwelcome guests.

 

[Thundermtn]

Those that don't have cast iron, you can get em cheap at junk shops and such.... usually rusty and hanging on a nail outside..... Go by Tractor Supply, Rural, Lowes, etc. and get a metal wire brush for your rechargeable drill.... get all the rust off, you can use Dawn and hot water this one time to make sure you have everything off of it.... Wipe it down with dry paper towels... Do NOT let it sit to dry, it can rust right in front of you... wipe the entire thing down with oil and cure in the oven...

Then use it repeatedly to fry bacon in... Do NOT wash, wipe it out clean with paper towels.... Use it over and over for bacon..... The minute layers of bacon grease will build up over time filling in all the imperfections of the casting process and slick out the surface....and turn it black...

A soak over night in a tub filled with vinegar will make it go pretty fast with the brush if it's really messed up.

Beware the new cast iron from overseas, they don't always care that much what metal they're making them out of. Ham steak with a side of lead anyone?

 

[rogue3]

I have 2 cast iron dutch ovens i use for slow cooking meats with vegetables...5 and 8 quart sizes.200 degrees all day long.the surface is seasoned with the remains of past meals...caramelized food remains.Amazing dishes.

 

[Kamen_Kaiju]

Beware the new cast iron from overseas, they don't always care that much what metal they're making them out of. Ham steak with a side of lead anyone?

yikes.

I got mine from Columbia I think. (Victoria 12 inch round). It was between that and a Lodge, but I liked the handle better on the Victoria.

 

[Jymbopalyse]

Cast iron pans are great. If need be you can use it as a weapon just like a telecaster!

Or a paddle for the canoe !

 

[ehb]

I've seen rusty ass cast iron outside junk shops for just a few bucks... Walk into a cookware place and check prices... Dayum....

At a garage sale, folks are selling THEIR cast iron that has been seasoned by age... Yeah it'll cost you...

Save major bucks, clean it up yourself... You might find that rusty old skillet you bought for 5-10 bucks is older than anybody in your family.... Instant heirloom to pass on down the line...

Cast iron to fry fish is da cheeze too... and fried chicken...

My mom gave my niece my granny's 'chicken fryer'.... It is a big ass skillet with real high sides and a lid.... I really wanted that but I have other stuff and it is still in the family.... It was probably my momma's granny's or farther back... My mom is 92....

Cast iron just heats far better...



TIP: If you are gonna grill steaks and they are frozen, whip out the biggest cast iron skillet you have, flip it over on the counter, and slip the steaks directly on the skillet... A big thick cast iron griddle will work... Higher the mass of cast iron, the better it works... You cannot cool anything. You pull heat OUT of it. Heat is energy. Cold is not...

Cast iron, being colder than room temp, will sink heat out of room.

The steak, being colder than the cast iron, will sink heat out of the cast iron.

The steak will thaw a lot quicker than on the counter or in a big bowl of water. (News flash, water does NOT like to change temp)

SO, the steak rapidly thaws because the cast iron cannot equalize to the room because heat is constantly pulled from the cast iron by the steak. Nothing can "Catch Up" (equalize) so the heat transfer doesn't stop....

Same as those "thaw plates" on TV... They are thin cast iron rectangles... Your cast iron is hella more mass and will work far quicker...

When you try it, and I know you will, put your hand on the cast iron somewhere BEFORE you drop the steaks... Keep your hand there... You can shortly feel the temp drop in the skillet as the frozen steaks pull heat out of it....

 

[Jymbopalyse]

ETA: They can be used as personal protection as well. One of these bad boys upside the head would take care of most unwelcome guests.

Or strap it to your chest for armour.

 

[Marshall & Moonshine]

Been using this for years to clean cast iron skillet

View attachment 372373

That’s the chain male I mentioned. It works like a dream.

 

[Marshall & Moonshine]

I've seen rusty ass cast iron outside junk shops for just a few bucks... Walk into a cookware place and check prices... Dayum....

At a garage sale, folks are selling THEIR cast iron that has been seasoned by age... Yeah it'll cost you...

Save major bucks, clean it up yourself... You might find that rusty old skillet you bought for 5-10 bucks is older than anybody in your family.... Instant heirloom to pass on down the line...

Cast iron to fry fish is da cheeze too... and fried chicken...

My mom gave my niece my granny's 'chicken fryer'.... It is a big ass skillet with real high sides and a lid.... I really wanted that but I have other stuff and it is still in the family.... It was probably my momma's granny's or farther back... My mom is 92....

Cast iron just heats far better...



TIP: If you are gonna grill steaks and they are frozen, whip out the biggest cast iron skillet you have, flip it over on the counter, and slip the steaks directly on the skillet... A big thick cast iron griddle will work... Higher the mass of cast iron, the better it works... You cannot cool anything. You pull heat OUT of it. Heat is energy. Cold is not...

Cast iron, being colder than room temp, will sink heat out of room.

The steak, being colder than the cast iron, will sink heat out of the cast iron.

The steak will thaw a lot quicker than on the counter or in a big bowl of water. (News flash, water does NOT like to change temp)

SO, the steak rapidly thaws because the cast iron cannot equalize to the room because heat is constantly pulled from the cast iron by the steak. Nothing can "Catch Up" (equalize) so the heat transfer doesn't stop....

Same as those "thaw plates" on TV... They are thin cast iron rectangles... Your cast iron is hella more mass and will work far quicker...

When you try it, and I know you will, put your hand on the cast iron somewhere BEFORE you drop the steaks... Keep your hand there... You can shortly feel the temp drop in the skillet as the frozen steaks pull heat out of it....

How do you get rid of rust? My wife inexplicably took our Dutch oven to the fuckin beach and then left it outside for a week. It took some work to get it close, but there’s still a little in there. I’m tempted to toss it, but it’s a nice one that works really well for stew.
Is there a chemical process that would work for it?

 

[ehb]

You can toss water in right after cooking something messy, while hot and let boil, pour off, and wipe with a wad of paper towels before cool...

Think deglazing a pan with wine or such when cooking, to lift and dissolve pan residue after frying a protein, to use in a sauce, gravy, or to dump in a soup or stew for flavoring....

 

[jkes01]

I’ve got a few. Saw a vid where they removed all of the texture from a new pan and made it smooth then seasoned it. Seemed to work much better. I think I am going to have to give that a try.

 

[ehb]

How do you get rid of rust? My wife inexplicably took our Dutch oven to the fuckin beach and then left it outside for a week. It took some work to get it close, but there’s still a little in there. I’m tempted to toss it, but it’s a nice one that works really well for stew.
Is there a chemical process that would work for it?

Wire brush, rechargeable drill.... Then immediately wash in hot water and dawn, wipe down and immediately coat ALL surface with veg oil of some kind... Put the oven on low and stick it in there for a couple hours at least... Doesn't have to be super hot...