Cast Iron Cooking

Yeah, I'm not one for soap. If you don't have coarse salt, just a plastic scrub brush with a quick rinse of hot water gets everything off. I then thoroughly dry it with a towel and put it on the stove on low. Once warm, I season it with my wax/oil seasoning and increase temp to get a wisp of smoke and let it rest in oven upside down. I do NOT do this with my expensive/vintage CI pans. Just my lodges because they're cheap and heavy, thus, less prone to warping on a stove. I have a few 100-120 yo Wagners/Griswolds. You'll never see me "season" those on a stove.

 

Brand name, source?

 

Danke. Very nice.

I'll definitely do that. Le Creuset is the Apple of cast iron, good hardware but overpriced for what it is.

 

The Woman's laptop. Which I hate.

Lodge is the Android of the cast iron world. It's budget friendly and just plain works.

This message sent from my Google Pixel.

#AndroidMasterRace

 

HA! Got me. I wasn't sure if you high status types could pull an IP address and device ID.

 

Fair enough. Speaking of flags, we need to have a chat about your avatar...

 

It's 75 degrees here and not a cloud in the sky.

Pro tip if you wanna self identify as Canuckistani: Nobody west of Ontario says that and West is Best.

 

Oh, lots of eh's. At least as many eh's as southerners use y'all.

 

Anyone know where you can buy a firepan? Had a great one once I bought off of old Cee Dubs web site and donated to the boys scouts...big mistake. They are great if you never used one...charcoal or wood fuel in a shallow stainless pan that has a fold over lid to put out. Grill can be removed to use dutch ovens etc...

 

@dkrou - I know they are crazy expensive these days but don't kick yourself. The Boy Scouts were a good cause and taught skills to many young men before they went all woke. I was a Scoutmaster in San Antonio many years ago and we cooked some amazing meals on cast iron skillets and Dutch ovens. One of the other scouters used to make the most awesome Mollejas on cast iron.

 

I just ate lunch and after 16 pages, damn it, I need some good food......*whelp

 

I kept all the cast iron I have collected over the years...I cooked for the dads as long as I never had to touch a tent. It was a great tradeoff.

 

Some stuff i cooked over the years in my cast irons

 

Just picked up a #6 Wagner, for $7. Also found a #3 unmarked older Lodge for $1. Here's some before and after pics of the #6 and a recent attempt at artisan crusty bread in the dutch oven.

 

Just an FYI, I make my own seasoning with bees wax and a couple oils. As I understand it, it's same stuff sold by some cast iron collectors on CI forums. It works really well. That #6 finished pic is after ONE seasoning. I've switched to seasoning on my Weber grill, using charcoal and oak for a slow burn that hits about 450. Once it's at that temp for 15-20 mins, I shut the vents and pull it out either a few hours later or the next morning. It may just be darker from the smoke, and the first cook does have that BBQ smokey flavor. But the seasoning results are undeniable. It looks like a pan that's been seasoned multiple times. I've done half a dozen pans this way and it's been consistent.

 

What's your seasoning concoction recipe?

 

I need to try some different recipes and do the smoker....I usually have used flaxseed oil and simply put it in the oven

 

my seasoning is a combo of pure bees wax, flaxseed/grapeseed oil. not cheap, but this seasoning works excellent and it doesn't take a lot.

 

Damn, this all sounds really complicated. My seasoning is bacon.

 

Not complicated at all, as long as you can put three ingredients into a pot and melt it. Then pour it out into a container. And unlike bacon seasoned CI, it won't go rancid if you don't use the skillet for a while...now that's "complicated"

 

If I missed it sorry but have any of you tried Stargazer cast iron pans?

 

no on stargazer, but i've seen videos and suppose to be very good; i pretty much stick with some newer lodge that i've sanded smooth, and some very old wagner/griswold that i was able to pick up at antique flea markets. got an actual 1890 Wagner #9 in excellent condition for $50