Cast Iron Cooking

I’ve heard very good things about stargazer. Might have to try one out. Very cool to be using a pan from the 1800s

 

Pork Ribeyes

 

I didn't intend to cook on cast iron tonight, but the regulator on my grill crapped out. I had to improvise.

 

They turned out better than I expected. A stick and a half of butter can bring out the best in anything.

 

Just picked up a Lodge cast iron pan about a month ago.
I love it and glad I stumbled on this thread!!!

 

You can poison yourself for less money than le creuset

 

Meant to do this camping but we had a tasty cobbler instead.
Deconstructed s’mores with angel food cake base layer, it was really good

@Uncle Bif would be proud!

 

You honor us all Mr. Toasty.

 

O lord I hadn’t seen that in the other channels.

 

Got my wife a set of stargazer pans. She asked me to send them back and get return funds. They are ground so smooth the seasoning fails everytime and these pans are not cheap.

 

Damn, that sucks.

 

Very much.

 

.

 

Searing blackened pork loin chops before baking.

 

Farm market tomatoes, farm market lettuce and farm market bacon.

 

mmmmmmmm goooooood

 

Some bacon.

To make the best summer sandwich.

 

It's underneath the spinach.

 

I had a tough day today, but the end result was good so I celebrated with a ribeye, steak fries and a couple eggs for dinner.

 

That looks mighty tasty. When I make steak and eggs, I like to throw in some baked beans into the mix.

 

Scoured this thread and somehow I haven't seen anyone bring up the single best way to clean cast iron...stainless steel chainmail, can get it from high end places like Sur La Table or even Amazon and it lasts forever. A dab of water, quick scrub, and seal with a little oil rubbed on top and ready to go. Hope that helps you soapy folks

 

I tried the chain mail and went back to just a rough sponge. Doesn’t seem to be as hard on the seasoning that way.

 

My cookware gets more mileage than most and I've only seen such issues from poorly seasoned pan, or perhaps not stainless high quality steel. Now, there could be issues with some lesser cast iron, as not all cast iron cookware is made to the same finished quality.

Some additional Tips:
-If your cast iron isn't fairly smooth to the touch (320 grit or finer) and instead is closer to a 60-150 grit, I'd take a grinder to it and re-season or purchase a better quality.
-The stainless-steel mesh should be smooth and small rings, like medieval chainmail.
-This will divide a room BUT cast iron should be re-seasoned from time to time, as it is not magic and as such not a forever process. Mileage will vary, and reoiling, proper heating before applying food, cooking room temperature food and such all play a role in seasoning lifespan.
-If you boil water on pan to clean...I can't even, LOL. My mother-in-law did that and I almost went full Gordan Ramsey on her. She's since seen the light and if her elbows have enough grease to do it proper, we should all be just fine.

I do use copper and copper-core cookware primarily and the care process for those make cast iron care feel like Fisher Price in comparison.

 

I use this and never had problems. Except when one fell in the garbage disposal and neither of us noticed.
I will standby for
I always use a dribble of soap.

Dry on a burner set on low and rub/buff with a thin layer of Crisco.

 

Ya you’d hate my routine. Throw stuff on it while it heats up, do the boil water trick on occasion (works fantastic on the blackstone), rinse it in the sink with a rough sponge, wipe some vegetable oil on it and heat it up for 5-10mins and then let it cool. I occasionally do a full reseasoning. Maybe every 6mo. I use it for everything. Taco meat, spaghetti sauce, eggs, bacon, chicken, pork, veggies, if it gets cooked on the stove top it’s in the cast iron.

 

Whipped up some breakfast for the wife and I yesterday. Not as fancy as some but the wife approved.