First Cast Iron Piece, wat do?

[dlew86]

Just got my first cast iron piece of cookware this Christmas. It's made by The Palm Restaurant and from what I've gathered they're a fine dining steakhouse that's branching out into the cookware industry. It's a Raw Cast Iron 10" Grill Pan which I assume means the same as unseasoned as opposed to pre-seasoned. From just holding the pan and past experiences with cast iron it feels like a good quality pan. I'm no stranger to cooking with and caring for cast iron pans, ovens etc as I've used my mother's pans to cook cornbread amongst other things even "borrowing" one while I was at college. What I am a novice to is getting a brand new piece started with a good seasoning. I plan on using flaxseed oil and following the instructions in this article. My main concern is do I need to rub oil over the whole entire pan (handle, bottom and all) with each repeated oven bake? Also I've always been slightly confused on caring for cast iron in one particular area. After each use of my mother's cast iron frying pan I would always rinse it off with the hottest water the tap would provide (scrubbing gently with a plastic bristle brush to remove stuck on gunk) and then heat it back up to make sure it was dry before rubbing a coat of oil on the cooking surface. Is that okay or should I rub oil all over the entire piece? Pics related.

 

[neverender2113]

That article you linked is what I used the first time I seasoned my cast iron pieces. Now I use avocado oil instead, but we hardly ever need to re-season anymore.

 

[jbaca]

You got it although if you eat bacon or anything with lots of fat. Cooking that will assure a nice start.

 

[rxonmymind]

Cast iron is my choice of cookware. I meet a lady who was the third generation owner of cast iron pans. Just handed down from one child to the next. Pretty neat.

 

[Buster]

I have some cast iron that was a wedding gift of my parents. Only have two first owner pans in my collection and one dutch oven I picked up at a garage sale for $5. All work great with proper care. I use baking soda as an abrasive to clean them with those woven metal scrubby things. Then rinse well, dry, and spray with some canola oil, wipe off excess oil. Then into a hot oven and turn it off. I never have a problem.

 

[YetiDave]

Thanks for the link to that article, I've been intrigued by the science behind the seasoning too. I've just put my new Lodge skillet (supposedly pre-seasoned but I've read that they need to be done again) into the oven. Not with flaxseed oil unfortunately but using the technique from that article, hope it turns out well

 

[dlew86]

Cast iron is my choice of cookware. I meet a lady who was the third generation owner of cast iron pans. Just handed down from one child to the next. Pretty neat.

My mother has a huge cast iron cauldron (at least 10 gallons) that her mother used to wash their clothes in when she was younger. She uses it as a flower pot now and I'll probably use it for something similar when it gets passed down to me. I'm not really into flower planting but I have thought about growing fresh herbs before.

You got it although if you eat bacon or anything with lots of fat. Cooking that will assure a nice start.

No problem there, I love some bacon.

Thanks for the link to that article, I've been intrigued by the science behind the seasoning too. I've just put my new Lodge skillet (supposedly pre-seasoned but I've read that they need to be done again) into the oven. Not with flaxseed oil unfortunately but using the technique from that article, hope it turns out well

I found it via trusty ol' Google, then again when I searched this forum. Post back with the results. I plan on getting a Lodge 6.5" frying pan and would love to see how it comes out.

 

[mretzloff]

Listen to what that article says. I used to have sticking problems with my Lodge skillet, but after following the article's author's advice, nothing sticks to my Lodge skillet any more. Flaxseed oil is the way to go.

 

[Mick]

What you have is a searing/grilling pan. It is designed to be used at high heat to cook meats and give them that burned/lined look. So little of the food touches the pan (just at the high points) that sticking should not be an issue with your pan. That said, a good seasoning can never hurt

http://www.ehow.com/how_4557903_use-grill-pan.html

 

[PugslyCat]

I was pretty much paralyzed with fear (and a rusted skillet) when I started the Rehabilitating Rusty Cast Iron Skillet thread. In the end, I did three simple procedures and now have a pretty decent chicken fryer.

Don't let perfect be the enemy of the the good. As the article says:

"It’s possible to use a suboptimal oil for seasoning, like Crisco or bacon drippings, and still end up with a usable pan. Many (most) people do this. But the seasoning will be relatively soft, not as nonstick, and will tend to wear off. If you want the hardest, slickest seasoning possible, use the right oil: flaxseed oil."​

I used Crisco and a single session in the oven and came out with the semi-gloss you’re aiming for, although I was expecting a matte finish at the time as
I didn't know any better. It wasn't at all sticky, and except for a few baked on drips where the Crisco was too think in a few spots it came out great. At first it wasn't as non-stick as I expected it to be, but after a few uses it's coming along.

As noted above, you really need to do the wax on, wax off thing with anything you use for seasoning. Any thick spots are going to be problematic.

 

[YetiDave]

I've baked my new Lodge skillet a few times with a very thin film of vegetable oil (as per the seasoning guide above, I didn't have flaxseed oil) and it's developing a lovely, shiny black finish. I've just put it in again for a fourth time at 270C as the cornbread I made in it stuck a little, but overall the process definitely seems to be working better than any other seasoning I've tried. I'll have to give it a try on my Le Creuset (not enamelled)

 

[Not The Original Kermit]

Constantly reminding your wife/gf to not attack it with detergent and scrubbing pad is always a good place to start too.

 

[YetiDave]

Constantly reminding your wife/gf to not attack it with detergent and scrubbing pad is always a good place to start too.

Hah! My girlfriend knows my cast iron and specific knives are off limits

 

[PugslyCat]

Constantly reminding your wife/gf to not attack it with detergent and scrubbing pad is always a good place to start too.

That wasn't a problem. My late wife couldn't lift the cast iron pans!

 

[BlueDemon]

If that's OK with you try to use it several times without washing or rising. IE> Cooking bacon in the morning, then frying eggs in the night or grilling some chicken breast. Do this for a couple of months so it can 'cure' itself. Then you'll have a better non-stick surface and less prone to lose its abilities with rinsing or washing.

 

[Not The Original Kermit]

Hah! My girlfriend knows my cast iron and specific knives are off limits

I wish, I need to reseason mine specifically because of this. Just need to get around to it, this thread has inspired me to get it done.

 

[jbaca]

I would think that you could use to panini sandwiches nice

 

[Alacrity59]

Grill pan is not the best choice for bacon. Bacon needs to fry in its own fat whereas the purpose of these pans is to keep meat out of the fat. Great for chicken and steaks though. Just clean as you described with nylon brush. If you have tough crud you can boil water in the pan and then scrub.

 

[KyMash]

My fiance got a nice cast iron pan for her birthday last year and when I seasoned it, I used ( and still do) bacon grease. I put it in a 400 degree oven to get it hot and then applied the grease all over it. I then turned the oven down to about 200 and left it in for a few hours. After doing this a couple of times, it has developed a nice shiny, non-stick surface. It even cooks the best omelets.

 

[dlew86]

What you have is a searing/grilling pan. It is designed to be used at high heat to cook meats and give them that burned/lined look. So little of the food touches the pan (just at the high points) that sticking should not be an issue with your pan. That said, a good seasoning can never hurt

That's what I was wanting, something to cook chicken and steaks without them cooking in their own fats/oils and what not. I still wanted to make sure I got a good "base" seasoning to prevent rust, which I doubt will happen because I cook meat just about every day but, better to be safe than sorry.

Grill pan is not the best choice for bacon. Bacon needs to fry in its own fat whereas the purpose of these pans is to keep meat out of the fat. Great for chicken and steaks though. Just clean as you described with nylon brush. If you have tough crud you can boil water in the pan and then scrub.

Yea I realized I wouldn't be cooking any bacon in this pan after I made that post. But then I realized that gives me the perfect excuse to buy that frying pan I've been wanting to replace my teflon covered crapware.

Thanks for all the feedback guys.