Cast Iron Cooking

[number51]

That's just how I have evolved my personal process over the last 20 years. But it's not hard at all, and I only reason pans if they need it. Sometimes I have something that needs special TLC after 6 months, something have been going strong for many years. Beeswax is my favorite now, because it's one of those seasonings that just lasts forever and that means LESS shit needs to be done. It is awesome.

There is always a new trendy seasoning method. It's nice to try other methods. My whole point is a cast iron user needs to try *something*, or they just spin their wheels in place and get frustrated when one method doesn't connect.

 

[number51]

Fan them out!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[cubby chubby]

Having used Lodge cast iron for a number of years, I’ve somewhat recently picked up some Griswold pans that are from the 1930’s - 1950’s. Difference is they have a smooth cooking surface and are a bit lighter than Lodge. But both do a great job with what I use them for. Mostly to finish steaks and chicken after sous vide process. Easy way to get fool proof results.

 

[nvanprooyen]

Having used Lodge cast iron for a number of years, I’ve somewhat recently picked up some Griswold pans that are from the 1930’s - 1950’s. Difference is they have a smooth cooking surface and are a bit lighter than Lodge. But both do a great job with what I use them for. Mostly to finish steaks and chicken after sous vide process. Easy way to get fool proof results.

I really want to get my hands on some older stuff that have that glassy surface. You can get the newer lodges that way if you grind them down and start the seasoning process from zero...but I haven't done that with any of mine.

 

[cubby chubby]

The smooth surface just makes it a bit more non stick.

 

[modo]

Use cast iron for a ton of stuff

Cornbread
Burgers
Steaks
Bacon and eggs
And just about anything else

I actually have 2 of them, one for sweet stuff the other for savory

Lately I’ve been using it to cook stuff in duck fat

 

[1COBearsfan]

My wife made something tomato-saucy recently and when I was re-seasoning my lodge I noticed something interesting. I’ve recently started a carnivore-ish diet so I’ve been cooking with tallow or duck fat and I’ve noticed that re-seasoning my cast iron with a thick animal fat gets a seasoning back to normal a lot quicker. For a long time before this I used coconut oil to season which worked really good but would take a bit longer

 

[Spunky Porkstacker]

My wife made something tomato-saucy recently and when I was re-seasoning my lodge I noticed something interesting. I’ve recently started a carnivore-ish diet so I’ve been cooking with tallow or duck fat and I’ve noticed that re-seasoning my cast iron with a thick animal fat gets a seasoning back to normal a lot quicker. For a long time before this I used coconut oil to season which worked really good but would take a bit longer

Use cast iron for a ton of stuff

Cornbread
Burgers
Steaks
Bacon and eggs
And just about anything else

I actually have 2 of them, one for sweet stuff the other for savory

Lately I’ve been using it to cook stuff in duck fat

Either of you guys have a brand of Duck fat you would recommend? I bought a jar on Amazon and really can't notice a difference from other cooking oils, I don't ever use seed oils.

 

[modo]

Either of you guys have a brand of Duck fat you would recommend? I bought a jar on Amazon and really can't notice a difference from other cooking oils, I don't ever use seed oils.

I've used all kinds, the key is to not overheat it. I think the last one was D'artagnon

 

[1COBearsfan]

Either of you guys have a brand of Duck fat you would recommend? I bought a jar on Amazon and really can't notice a difference from other cooking oils, I don't ever use seed oils.

Epic or Fatworks, I’ve used a few jars of each and both are good.

My latest cooking oil is bison tallow from Epic, it’s pretty awesome

 

[Crystallas]

bison tallow

TIL, ty

 

[1COBearsfan]

TIL, ty

What the hell does TIL mean? I’m positive that I’m younger than you but I’m not hip to the interwebs lingo’s

 

[Burque]

What the hell does TIL mean? I’m positive that I’m younger than you but I’m not hip to the interwebs lingo’s

Today I learned

 

[clonetrooper264]

I made some pretty bomb sliders in a cast iron pan a few weeks ago.

Pretty simple recipe...uses those Hawaiian sweet rolls as the bread and just some ground beef and cheese in the middle. You can add whatever else you like of course, but that's the base. Slice the rolls in half and put the bottoms in the cast iron pan, fill with whatever you like, put the tops on, throw it in the oven til cheese is melty.

Beef was browned beforehand when I did it and I brushed the tops of the rolls with some garlic butter before putting it in the oven.

Pretty low effort and highly delicious

 

[Crystallas]

What the hell does TIL mean? I’m positive that I’m younger than you but I’m not hip to the interwebs lingo’s

Wut wut yo? You meanz dis gib aint yo trip?

 

[1COBearsfan]

Today I learned

thanks, til?

Wut wut yo? You meanz dis gib aint yo trip?

Is this English? Did you get hit in the head with something heavy?

What did I learn you, btw?

 

[hebs]

Soap is fine, despite what some people say. But bacteria isn't much of a concern because of the heat when you cook. Want to get it really clean though? Warm it up, thrown in a bit of oil, then some course ground kosher salt and scrub away. Gets it super clean. Then rinse clean, get bone dry in the oven and lightly coat with oil again.

I'm surprised nobody on here is using a chain mail scrubber to clean their cast iron. It is hands down the easiest and most economical way to clean cast iron. I've been cooking on my same cast iron pan for the last 20 years. I've used most of the methods out there to clean it. The salt scub was my last way before I found out about the chain mail. The chain mail literally makes it the easiet pan to clean in your inventory. It instantly takes off all of the food without scouring the seasoning.

Chain Mail cast iron scrubber

I hit it with a little hot water, scrub it with the mail and then rinse. I dry it with a paper towel and put it back on a burner that I turn on for about 20sec and then leave the pan on the burner just to heat it back up and knock off any residual moisture.

I don't really need to season my pan anymore, but I do every now and again anyways. The bottom of the pan is smooth as glass.