Bought a chicken-frying skillet today made of cast iron. I'm nothing
you would even think of being associated with anything associated with
metallurgy, but I would guess that the cast iron in my skillet is iron
and 3-4% carbon.
Here's my question: Can I or should I try to smooth out the inside of
that skillet in order to help it get that well-seasoned black-iron
slick? My understanding of the seasoning process is that over a number
of uses, the high spots on the iron get worn down, and the low spots
get filled with, well, food. When the high and low spots even out,
that's when the iron cookware gets that dull shine and non-stick
surface that your grandma told you about.
So what if I jump-start the process? By taking off the high spots
first thing (say, sanding to 400-grit) and leaving the low spots much
less low to fill in much more quickly, it is my hypothesis that my new
chicken-frying cast iron skillet will "season" much more quickly.
What say you?
-Phil Crow
W Canaday wrote:
> On Tue, 21 Mar 2006 05:44:43 -0800, phildcrowNOSPAM wrote:
>
>
>>BTW, the fried chicken was pretty damn good, but the breading was not
>>crispy. Pretty good, though, for a first attempt.
>>
>>For those interested, I followed Alton Brown's recipe to the letter.
>>
>>http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,1977,FOOD_9936_15279,00.html
>>
>> Thanks for the responses, y'all, and all the lively banter.
>>
>>-Phil Crow
>
>
> Crank up the heat to just below smoking and use LOTS oc Crisco. Then, in
> the last couple of minutes or so, toss in an ice cube and steam it with
> the lid on. Yowza yowza! (salt, pepper, white flour or yellow cornmeal,
> chicken and Crisco and the last minute ice cube are all that go into the
> skillet ... nunya fancy herbs and stuff!)
I'm in agreement, with the possible exception of a little tarragon.
er
--
email not valid
[email protected] wrote:
> Bought a chicken-frying skillet today made of cast iron. I'm nothing
> you would even think of being associated with anything associated with
> metallurgy, but I would guess that the cast iron in my skillet is iron
> and 3-4% carbon.
>
> Here's my question: Can I or should I try to smooth out the inside of
> that skillet in order to help it get that well-seasoned black-iron
> slick? My understanding of the seasoning process is that over a number
> of uses, the high spots on the iron get worn down, and the low spots
> get filled with, well, food. When the high and low spots even out,
> that's when the iron cookware gets that dull shine and non-stick
> surface that your grandma told you about.
>
> So what if I jump-start the process? By taking off the high spots
> first thing (say, sanding to 400-grit) and leaving the low spots much
> less low to fill in much more quickly, it is my hypothesis that my new
> chicken-frying cast iron skillet will "season" much more quickly.
>
> What say you?
>
When I had several new cast iron items to season, I found a website
somewhere that recommended that very approach. I tried it, and was
very glad I had power tools to use as it was very slow going. I don't
know how long it would have taken to season properly without sanding
first, but it seemed to work well enough.
DonkeyHody
[email protected] wrote:
> Bought a chicken-frying skillet today made of cast iron. I'm nothing
> you would even think of being associated with anything associated with
> metallurgy, but I would guess that the cast iron in my skillet is iron
> and 3-4% carbon.
>
> Here's my question: Can I or should I try to smooth out the inside of
> that skillet in order to help it get that well-seasoned black-iron
> slick? My understanding of the seasoning process is that over a number
> of uses, the high spots on the iron get worn down, and the low spots
> get filled with, well, food. When the high and low spots even out,
> that's when the iron cookware gets that dull shine and non-stick
> surface that your grandma told you about.
>
> So what if I jump-start the process? By taking off the high spots
> first thing (say, sanding to 400-grit) and leaving the low spots much
> less low to fill in much more quickly, it is my hypothesis that my new
> chicken-frying cast iron skillet will "season" much more quickly.
>
> What say you?
I'd say that 400 grit would take forever, maybe longer. Use a
carborundum stone.
R
Cydrome Leader wrote:
> Don't waste time grinding it away.
>
> Coat it in a fatty oil like olive oil, and throw it in the oven at like
> 400 until it stops smoking. Coat it again and repeat. The first coatins
> will be orange or yellow colored. Olive oil seasons a skillet better than
> vegetable oil.
>
> ...
Just keep the amount of oil to minimum. Otherwise opening the oven
might produce an impressive fireball.
--
FF
I've never heard of anyone having to (or wanting to) smooth down the
surface of a quality cast-iron skillet before seasoning it and using
it. Good grief! It's not the same as a table saw table or jointer
table. If that's the case, I reckon the manufacturer would be doing
this as part of the fishing process. Fact is, you don't want it
polished. That defeats the purpose for buying a cast iron cooking
utensil. Check out http://www.melindalee.com/Cast-Iron.html. Treat it
right and it'll do the job you bought it to do well. Nothing cooks
fried chicken like a good cast iron skillet.
And to add Never soak it - NEVER dishwasher it. That will scour the seasoning
out of the pan and you get to start all over. Once de-rusted...
Martin
Martin Eastburn
@ home at Lions' Lair with our computer lionslair at consolidated dot net
NRA LOH & Endowment Member
NRA Second Amendment Task Force Charter Founder
Odinn wrote:
> On 3/19/2006 7:51 PM Warren Weber mumbled something about the following:
>
>> <[email protected]> wrote in message
>> news:[email protected]...
>>
>>> Bought a chicken-frying skillet today made of cast iron. I'm nothing
>>> you would even think of being associated with anything associated with
>>> metallurgy, but I would guess that the cast iron in my skillet is iron
>>> and 3-4% carbon.
>>>
>>> Here's my question: Can I or should I try to smooth out the inside of
>>> that skillet in order to help it get that well-seasoned black-iron
>>> slick? My understanding of the seasoning process is that over a number
>>> of uses, the high spots on the iron get worn down, and the low spots
>>> get filled with, well, food. When the high and low spots even out,
>>> that's when the iron cookware gets that dull shine and non-stick
>>> surface that your grandma told you about.
>>>
>>> So what if I jump-start the process? By taking off the high spots
>>> first thing (say, sanding to 400-grit) and leaving the low spots much
>>> less low to fill in much more quickly, it is my hypothesis that my new
>>> chicken-frying cast iron skillet will "season" much more quickly.
>>>
>>> What say you?
>>>
>>> -Phil Crow
>>>
>> We have tried Olive oil and 400 degree heat, not good. Then used bacon
>> grease at 400 degrees this works very good.
>>
>
> Lard is the best to use for seasoning a cast iron skillet. I do it over
> a fire instead of in the oven (I was taught to do it in the firebox of a
> wood stove). Need to get some oak (don't use pine, don't want creosote
> all over it), build a good fire and get some down to some real hot
> coals, slather the skillet with lard inside and out and place just above
> the coals and let the lard cook in (careful not to let it burn).
>
> On the few occasions that reseasoning is needed for touchup, make sure
> it's totally dry, lightly coat it with lard and place on the stove on
> high for about 5 min (might want to turn on your vent fan), let it cool
> down, and wipe out the excess lard.
>
> NEVER let a cast iron skillet soak in water.
>
----== Posted via Newsfeeds.Com - Unlimited-Unrestricted-Secure Usenet News==----
http://www.newsfeeds.com The #1 Newsgroup Service in the World! 120,000+ Newsgroups
----= East and West-Coast Server Farms - Total Privacy via Encryption =----
>>I've never heard of anyone having to (or wanting to) smooth down the
surface of a quality cast-iron skillet before seasoning it<<
I think this is key. There is a difference in quality between pans.
I've got a 25 yr old 12" CI pan that is perfectly smooth, and I
think always was smooth, my go-to pan. There is no manufacturer's
name or symbol on it. I've also got a Lodge 10" CI pan about 5 yrs
old. It is still rather rough after much use and it is as seasoned
as it is ever going to be. I've always wanted to sand it smooth and
never did. Maybe I will now.
Larry
mac davis wrote:
> On 19 Mar 2006 17:38:32 -0800, [email protected] wrote:
>
> >
> >Cydrome Leader wrote:
> >> Don't waste time grinding it away.
> >>
> >> Coat it in a fatty oil like olive oil, and throw it in the oven at like
> >> 400 until it stops smoking. Coat it again and repeat. The first coatins
> >> will be orange or yellow colored. Olive oil seasons a skillet better than
> >> vegetable oil.
> >>
> >> ...
> >
> >Just keep the amount of oil to minimum. Otherwise opening the oven
> >might produce an impressive fireball.
>
> good point, Fred! (occupational thing? )
>
Experience seasoning frying pans...
--
FF
Your right about the analogy Stephen. A plane or chisel would have
been more accurate. It would sure be nice if the manufacturers would
lap and polish their chisels and plane irons. No one expects this when
purchasing them. Phildcrownos... asked if he should try to smooth out
the inside of that skillet in order to help it get that well-seasoned
black-iron slick. I was attempting to point out the fact that while
it's beneficial and necessary to have a flat smooth finish on a saw
table or jointer table surface, it's neither necessary or particularly
desirable to have a comparable surface on a CI skillet. Properly
seasoned and cared for, in time that skillet will end up with a
cooking surface about as smooth as teflon. The old addage "quality
take time" applies here.
You mention that since CI is a homogenious material, it makes no
difference whether you season (grind is probably a better choice) the
top layer or a couple thousanths down. Absolutely correcto! So, why
waste ones time and expend the effort to try and smooth down the
surface which will become extremely smooth with use and proper care in
a reasonable amount of time. My grandmother, bless her heart, would be
spinning in her grave if she thought someone would take a stone or or
other grinding medium to a cast iron skillet. Guess I'm from the old
school. One thing you can't argue about, is the quality of fried
chicken that you get cooking with cast iron.
Well, I decided to take the angle grinder to the inside of the pan.
Light touch, nice and slow. As one poster mentioned, this was anything
but a quality piece of cookware. It's a 15 1/2" skillet, and cost a
little less than a dollar an inch. While nice and heavy, it had not
been polished or smoothed at all. So, I smoothed it. My intent was to
knock off the bumps, but not grind down to the bottoms of the pits. So
I did that in about 10 minutes, and Crisco'd the thing and put it on
the grill (to avoid smoke in the house). Burned it for about a half
hour, let it cool, then repeated. The pits are nice and black, and the
former bumps, now flats, are a dark gray color. I think that the
grinder idea was a pretty good one.
BTW, the fried chicken was pretty damn good, but the breading was not
crispy. Pretty good, though, for a first attempt.
For those interested, I followed Alton Brown's recipe to the letter.
http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,1977,FOOD_9936_15279,00.html
Thanks for the responses, y'all, and all the lively banter.
-Phil Crow
Rich wrote:
> Back on the OT subject. Go to the Lodge website. If you follow their
> directions to the letter you'll not go wrong. I've got few Lodge and other
> brand cast iron items and I follow their lead on seasoning. Also take a lead
> from Alton Brown on the food channel he uses Kosher salt to clean the
> surface while still hot using a paper towel to rub the salt around. Kosher
> salt has sharp edges the abrade the food deposits off. Lightly oil after
> removing the salt and food and your ready for the next time around. NEVER
> use water soap or any other abrasive and you'll have one awesome pan in
> short order. I've tried a ton of ways and this works great.
> Rich
The only thing I use for cooking is cast iron. I've got 5 skillets,
two other pots and 3 dutch ovens (all Lodge, wouldn't have anything
else). They are all well seasoned and scrambled and fried eggs come
out like it was non-stick. I've always used hot soap and water with a
copper or plastic scouring pad. Make sure you dry it good on the stove
after it's washed. Yeah, I've heard all the don't wash opinions but
this works for me.
Fred
> <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]...
> > Bought a chicken-frying skillet today made of cast iron. I'm nothing
> > you would even think of being associated with anything associated with
> > metallurgy, but I would guess that the cast iron in my skillet is iron
> > and 3-4% carbon.
> >
> > Here's my question: Can I or should I try to smooth out the inside of
> > that skillet in order to help it get that well-seasoned black-iron
> > slick? My understanding of the seasoning process is that over a number
> > of uses, the high spots on the iron get worn down, and the low spots
> > get filled with, well, food. When the high and low spots even out,
> > that's when the iron cookware gets that dull shine and non-stick
> > surface that your grandma told you about.
> >
> > So what if I jump-start the process? By taking off the high spots
> > first thing (say, sanding to 400-grit) and leaving the low spots much
> > less low to fill in much more quickly, it is my hypothesis that my new
> > chicken-frying cast iron skillet will "season" much more quickly.
> >
> > What say you?
> >
> > -Phil Crow
> >
Carl Byrns wrote:
> You did it wrong.
Huh? Perhaps I didn't do it the way you'd do it, but that doesn't make
it necessarily wrong. Several respondents to my original post also
ground or sanded the insides of their skillets.
Per Alton Brown, you have to season the pan UPSIDE
> DOWN IN AN OVEN.
Um, I was talking about frying the chicken. That's what the link
points to. As far as seasoning the pan, I'm an old hand at that. I
was just thinking about a new, faster way to skin an old cat.
The burned black stuff on the bottom of your pan is
> polyermized fat which will scrape off and taste awful the first time
> you try to cook scrambled eggs.
> I suggest you start over- if you do it right (see
> http://www.lodgemfg.com/usecare1.asp?menu=original ) for the basic
> idea- but do it upside down.
>
> -Carl (been cooking on CI since I was a kid)
Good effort, though. 'Preciate the feedback.
-Phil Crow
alexy wrote:
> [email protected] wrote:
>
> Okay, question about that process. I've been told to use lard, which I
> did. I found that as it heated up and lost viscosity, the surface
> tension of the lard cause it to bead up. Was I using too much, or too
> little? Would vegetable shortening respond any differently?
> --
> Alex -- Replace "nospam" with "mail" to reply by email. Checked infrequently.
If I had had some on hand, I would have used it. I had Crisco, so used
that. I agree with the lard idea, though. I did my 12" skillet with
bacon drippings and it worked well.
-Phil Crow
Martie in MO wrote:
> I've never heard of anyone having to (or wanting to) smooth down the
> surface of a quality cast-iron skillet before seasoning it and using
> it.
I bought a cheap chinese cast iron skillet for about $5. It was
incredibly rough...as far as I could tell it was straight out of the
casting sand. It definately needed smoothing down before seasoning.
Of course you did say "quality", and this was anything but.
Works just fine now though...
Chris
Martie in MO wrote:
> So, why
> waste ones time and expend the effort to try and smooth down the
> surface which will become extremely smooth with use and proper care in
> a reasonable amount of time.
I've seen cast iron skillets that were so rough the bumps were at least
1/32" high, maybe a sixteenth.
In an extreme case like that, I think it makes sense to at least get it
reasonably smooth. I'm talking 60-80 grit here, not 400.
Chris
What`s that have to do with woodworking.......
"Lew Hodgett" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> [email protected] wrote:
>
> > Bought a chicken-frying skillet today made of cast iron.
>
> Congratulations, now you will be able to properly fry chicken.
>
> (They will pry mine from my cold dead hand)<G>.
>
> > Here's my question: Can I or should I try to smooth out the inside of
> > that skillet in order to help it get that well-seasoned black-iron
> > slick?
>
> I didn't bother, but did reseason many times the first couple of years.
>
> Even today I scrub mine out with a ScotchBrite pad and reoil, removing
> excess oil with a paper towel before putting it away.
>
>
> Lew
In article <[email protected]>,
Cydrome Leader <[email protected]> wrote:
> Don't waste time grinding it away.
>
> Coat it in a fatty oil like olive oil, and throw it in the oven at like
> 400 until it stops smoking. Coat it again and repeat.
*SOMEBODY* has actually had to properly season a skillet sometime in the
past.
With the minor exception of using lard instead of olive oil, and a
minimum of 5 "repeat"s, that's the same method my grandmother taught me,
and her cast iron was as close to teflon as makes no never-mind.
Second point:
Once you've got the seasoning on, *DO NOT* use soap to wash, and use
nothing stiffer than a copper "chore-boy" scrubber (not that you're
likely to need that much, assuming you get the seasoning right) for
cleaning. If you've got super heavy, ultra-sticky "crud" buildup, fill
it with water and put it on a high flame to let it "boil clean". For
routine cleanup, hot water and a sponge or dishcloth is all that's
needed.
--
Don Bruder - [email protected] - If your "From:" address isn't on my whitelist,
or the subject of the message doesn't contain the exact text "PopperAndShadow"
somewhere, any message sent to this address will go in the garbage without my
ever knowing it arrived. Sorry... <http://www.sonic.net/~dakidd> for more info
In article <[email protected]>,
alexy <[email protected]> wrote:
> [email protected] wrote:
>
>
> >I did that in about 10 minutes, and Crisco'd the thing and put it on
> >the grill (to avoid smoke in the house). Burned it for about a half
> >hour, let it cool, then repeated.
>
> Okay, question about that process. I've been told to use lard, which I
> did. I found that as it heated up and lost viscosity, the surface
> tension of the lard cause it to bead up. Was I using too much, or too
> little? Would vegetable shortening respond any differently?
Too little. Slather it on like an albino putting on SPF-80 sunblock,
then put some more on, and when you think you've got too much, add a
little more and you'll be just about right.
Same thing if you choose to go with crisco or olive oil - Put it on
until you think it's too much, and you're getting close to "just right".
--
Don Bruder - [email protected] - If your "From:" address isn't on my whitelist,
or the subject of the message doesn't contain the exact text "PopperAndShadow"
somewhere, any message sent to this address will go in the garbage without my
ever knowing it arrived. Sorry... <http://www.sonic.net/~dakidd> for more info
In article <[email protected]>,
[email protected] wrote:
> alexy wrote:
> > [email protected] wrote:
> >
> > Okay, question about that process. I've been told to use lard, which I
> > did. I found that as it heated up and lost viscosity, the surface
> > tension of the lard cause it to bead up. Was I using too much, or too
> > little? Would vegetable shortening respond any differently?
> > --
> > Alex -- Replace "nospam" with "mail" to reply by email. Checked
> > infrequently.
>
> If I had had some on hand, I would have used it. I had Crisco, so used
> that. I agree with the lard idea, though. I did my 12" skillet with
> bacon drippings and it worked well.
Of course it did -
When you get right down to it, bacon drippings = "smoked/cured lard".
Do it just right, and you can "re-render" bacon drippings back to
"straight lard" state, but it's not real practical to bother - just
possible.
--
Don Bruder - [email protected] - If your "From:" address isn't on my whitelist,
or the subject of the message doesn't contain the exact text "PopperAndShadow"
somewhere, any message sent to this address will go in the garbage without my
ever knowing it arrived. Sorry... <http://www.sonic.net/~dakidd> for more info
In article <[email protected]>,
Odinn <[email protected]> wrote:
> On 3/21/2006 3:26 PM Don Bruder mumbled something about the following:
> > In article <[email protected]>,
> > alexy <[email protected]> wrote:
> >
> >> [email protected] wrote:
> >>
> >>
> >>> I did that in about 10 minutes, and Crisco'd the thing and put it on
> >>> the grill (to avoid smoke in the house). Burned it for about a half
> >>> hour, let it cool, then repeated.
> >> Okay, question about that process. I've been told to use lard, which I
> >> did. I found that as it heated up and lost viscosity, the surface
> >> tension of the lard cause it to bead up. Was I using too much, or too
> >> little? Would vegetable shortening respond any differently?
> >
> > Too little. Slather it on like an albino putting on SPF-80 sunblock,
> > then put some more on, and when you think you've got too much, add a
> > little more and you'll be just about right.
> >
> > Same thing if you choose to go with crisco or olive oil - Put it on
> > until you think it's too much, and you're getting close to "just right".
> >
>
> As Marylin Monroe (IIRC) said "If more is better then too much is just
> right".
<heheheheh> In this case, that's pretty much right :)
Having a standing pool of oil/melted lard (or crisco) covering the
entire bottom of the pan while it's "cooking in" is absolutely perfect.
--
Don Bruder - [email protected] - If your "From:" address isn't on my whitelist,
or the subject of the message doesn't contain the exact text "PopperAndShadow"
somewhere, any message sent to this address will go in the garbage without my
ever knowing it arrived. Sorry... <http://www.sonic.net/~dakidd> for more info
On Tue, 21 Mar 2006 12:26:49 -0800, Don Bruder <[email protected]> wrote:
> Too little. Slather it on like an albino putting on SPF-80 sunblock,
> then put some more on, and when you think you've got too much, add a
> little more and you'll be just about right.
Dammit, Don, you owe me half a coffee, and quite possibly, a new
keyboard. Hot coffee stings the sinuses, for the record.
Yeah. Got any FREE PLANS for a dinner potatoe?
-Zz
On Mon, 20 Mar 2006 07:50:57 -0800, mac davis
<[email protected]> wrote:
>On Mon, 20 Mar 2006 04:23:10 GMT, "Edwin Pawlowski" <[email protected]> wrote:
>
>>
>>"George Berlinger" <[email protected]> wrote in message
>>news:[email protected]...
>>> What`s that have to do with woodworking.......
>>
>>If you want to do good woodwork, start the day with a good breakfast of
>>bacon and eggs cooked in a CI pan.
>>
>>Later, while you are doing woodwork in the shop, you can have a roast or
>>meatloaf in the CI pan cooking in the oven. Put cut up potatoes in the same
>>pan around the roast. Very efficient way to cook, leaving more time for the
>>woodworking.
>
>Hey Ed... do you cut the potatoes on the CMS or the band saw?
>
>What angle is best for proper browning and getting them done all the way
>through?
>
>I used a sawzall at 22 degrees last time and wasn't happy with the results at
>all...
>
>Mac
>
>https://home.comcast.net/~mac.davis
>https://home.comcast.net/~mac.davis/wood_stuff.htm
[email protected] wrote:
> So what if I jump-start the process? By taking off the high spots
> first thing (say, sanding to 400-grit) and leaving the low spots much
> less low to fill in much more quickly, it is my hypothesis that my new
> chicken-frying cast iron skillet will "season" much more quickly.
>
> What say you?
>
> -Phil Crow
I believe I would just fry up a few greasy hamburgers and then overheat
the remaining juice a bit. Do the same thing next time, and pretty soon
you'll have that surface that you're looking for. Might smoke a bit in
the house, though.
--
Gary Brady
Austin, TX
www.powdercoatoven.4t.com
In article <[email protected]>, "Martin H. Eastburn" <[email protected]> wrote:
>And to add Never soak it - NEVER dishwasher it. That will scour the seasoning
>out of the pan and you get to start all over. Once de-rusted...
And one more thing: don't cook anything containing tomatoes in it, either,
unless you enjoy reseasoning your cookware.
--
Regards,
Doug Miller (alphageek at milmac dot com)
It's time to throw all their damned tea in the harbor again.
Nothing. Note the OT in the subject line.
"George Berlinger" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> What`s that have to do with woodworking.......
On Tue, 21 Mar 2006 09:07:29 -0500, Randy Replogle
<[email protected]> wrote:
>On 21 Mar 2006 05:44:43 -0800, [email protected] wrote:
>
>>Well, I decided to take the angle grinder to the inside of the pan.
>>Light touch, nice and slow. As one poster mentioned, this was anything
>>but a quality piece of cookware. It's a 15 1/2" skillet, and cost a
>>little less than a dollar an inch. While nice and heavy, it had not
>>been polished or smoothed at all. So, I smoothed it. My intent was to
>>knock off the bumps, but not grind down to the bottoms of the pits. So
>>I did that in about 10 minutes, and Crisco'd the thing and put it on
>>the grill (to avoid smoke in the house). Burned it for about a half
>>hour, let it cool, then repeated. The pits are nice and black, and the
>>former bumps, now flats, are a dark gray color. I think that the
>>grinder idea was a pretty good one.
>>
You did it wrong. Per Alton Brown, you have to season the pan UPSIDE
DOWN IN AN OVEN. The burned black stuff on the bottom of your pan is
polyermized fat which will scrape off and taste awful the first time
you try to cook scrambled eggs.
I suggest you start over- if you do it right (see
http://www.lodgemfg.com/usecare1.asp?menu=original ) for the basic
idea- but do it upside down.
-Carl (been cooking on CI since I was a kid)
You can use wooden spatulas to stir the food.
"George Berlinger" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> What`s that have to do with woodworking.......
> "Lew Hodgett" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]...
>> [email protected] wrote:
>>
>> > Bought a chicken-frying skillet today made of cast iron.
>>
>> Congratulations, now you will be able to properly fry chicken.
>>
>> (They will pry mine from my cold dead hand)<G>.
>>
>> > Here's my question: Can I or should I try to smooth out the inside of
>> > that skillet in order to help it get that well-seasoned black-iron
>> > slick?
>>
>> I didn't bother, but did reseason many times the first couple of years.
>>
>> Even today I scrub mine out with a ScotchBrite pad and reoil, removing
>> excess oil with a paper towel before putting it away.
>>
>>
>> Lew
>
>
>
On 3/21/2006 3:26 PM Don Bruder mumbled something about the following:
> In article <[email protected]>,
> alexy <[email protected]> wrote:
>
>> [email protected] wrote:
>>
>>
>>> I did that in about 10 minutes, and Crisco'd the thing and put it on
>>> the grill (to avoid smoke in the house). Burned it for about a half
>>> hour, let it cool, then repeated.
>> Okay, question about that process. I've been told to use lard, which I
>> did. I found that as it heated up and lost viscosity, the surface
>> tension of the lard cause it to bead up. Was I using too much, or too
>> little? Would vegetable shortening respond any differently?
>
> Too little. Slather it on like an albino putting on SPF-80 sunblock,
> then put some more on, and when you think you've got too much, add a
> little more and you'll be just about right.
>
> Same thing if you choose to go with crisco or olive oil - Put it on
> until you think it's too much, and you're getting close to "just right".
>
As Marylin Monroe (IIRC) said "If more is better then too much is just
right".
--
Odinn
RCOS #7 SENS BS ???
"The more I study religions the more I am convinced that man never
worshiped anything but himself." -- Sir Richard Francis Burton
Reeky's unofficial homepage ... http://www.reeky.org
'03 FLHTI ........... http://www.sloanclan.org/gallery/ElectraGlide
'97 VN1500D ......... http://www.sloanclan.org/gallery/VulcanClassic
Atlanta Biker Net ... http://www.atlantabiker.net
Vulcan Riders Assoc . http://www.vulcanriders.org
rot13 [email protected] to reply
On 3/21/2006 8:44 AM [email protected] mumbled something about
the following:
> Well, I decided to take the angle grinder to the inside of the pan.
> Light touch, nice and slow. As one poster mentioned, this was anything
> but a quality piece of cookware. It's a 15 1/2" skillet, and cost a
> little less than a dollar an inch. While nice and heavy, it had not
> been polished or smoothed at all. So, I smoothed it. My intent was to
> knock off the bumps, but not grind down to the bottoms of the pits. So
> I did that in about 10 minutes, and Crisco'd the thing and put it on
> the grill (to avoid smoke in the house). Burned it for about a half
> hour, let it cool, then repeated. The pits are nice and black, and the
> former bumps, now flats, are a dark gray color. I think that the
> grinder idea was a pretty good one.
>
> BTW, the fried chicken was pretty damn good, but the breading was not
> crispy. Pretty good, though, for a first attempt.
>
> For those interested, I followed Alton Brown's recipe to the letter.
>
> http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,1977,FOOD_9936_15279,00.html
>
> Thanks for the responses, y'all, and all the lively banter.
>
> -Phil Crow
>
You need to cook the oil in a lot longer than 30 min to season it. More
like an hour at about 500F.
--
Odinn
RCOS #7 SENS BS ???
"The more I study religions the more I am convinced that man never
worshiped anything but himself." -- Sir Richard Francis Burton
Reeky's unofficial homepage ... http://www.reeky.org
'03 FLHTI ........... http://www.sloanclan.org/gallery/ElectraGlide
'97 VN1500D ......... http://www.sloanclan.org/gallery/VulcanClassic
Atlanta Biker Net ... http://www.atlantabiker.net
Vulcan Riders Assoc . http://www.vulcanriders.org
rot13 [email protected] to reply
"George Berlinger" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> What`s that have to do with woodworking.......
If you want to do good woodwork, start the day with a good breakfast of
bacon and eggs cooked in a CI pan.
Later, while you are doing woodwork in the shop, you can have a roast or
meatloaf in the CI pan cooking in the oven. Put cut up potatoes in the same
pan around the roast. Very efficient way to cook, leaving more time for the
woodworking.
--
Ed
http://pages.cthome.net/edhome/
[email protected] wrote:
> Bought a chicken-frying skillet today made of cast iron.
Congratulations, now you will be able to properly fry chicken.
(They will pry mine from my cold dead hand)<G>.
> Here's my question: Can I or should I try to smooth out the inside of
> that skillet in order to help it get that well-seasoned black-iron
> slick?
I didn't bother, but did reseason many times the first couple of years.
Even today I scrub mine out with a ScotchBrite pad and reoil, removing
excess oil with a paper towel before putting it away.
Lew
In article <[email protected]>,
[email protected] (Doug Miller) wrote:
> plastic utensils when cooking
JAMAIS!! NEVER!!
*gasp*
(okay.. that's it for the histrionics)
Oddly, I did just that for a buddy of mine. He was actually very pleased
with the results, and he is no slouch in the kitchen.
I used an ROS and it was actually pretty slow going.
Go for it.
<[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Bought a chicken-frying skillet today made of cast iron. I'm nothing
> you would even think of being associated with anything associated with
> metallurgy, but I would guess that the cast iron in my skillet is iron
> and 3-4% carbon.
>
> Here's my question: Can I or should I try to smooth out the inside of
> that skillet in order to help it get that well-seasoned black-iron
> slick? My understanding of the seasoning process is that over a number
> of uses, the high spots on the iron get worn down, and the low spots
> get filled with, well, food. When the high and low spots even out,
> that's when the iron cookware gets that dull shine and non-stick
> surface that your grandma told you about.
>
> So what if I jump-start the process? By taking off the high spots
> first thing (say, sanding to 400-grit) and leaving the low spots much
> less low to fill in much more quickly, it is my hypothesis that my new
> chicken-frying cast iron skillet will "season" much more quickly.
>
> What say you?
>
> -Phil Crow
>
Don't waste time grinding it away.
Coat it in a fatty oil like olive oil, and throw it in the oven at like
400 until it stops smoking. Coat it again and repeat. The first coatins
will be orange or yellow colored. Olive oil seasons a skillet better than
vegetable oil.
It will quickly turn black with use. Bacon or eggs are good things to
start with. Scrabled eggs will not stick to anything inside a lightly
oiled and seasoned skillet.
In rec.crafts.metalworking [email protected] wrote:
> Bought a chicken-frying skillet today made of cast iron. I'm nothing
> you would even think of being associated with anything associated with
> metallurgy, but I would guess that the cast iron in my skillet is iron
> and 3-4% carbon.
>
> Here's my question: Can I or should I try to smooth out the inside of
> that skillet in order to help it get that well-seasoned black-iron
> slick? My understanding of the seasoning process is that over a number
> of uses, the high spots on the iron get worn down, and the low spots
> get filled with, well, food. When the high and low spots even out,
> that's when the iron cookware gets that dull shine and non-stick
> surface that your grandma told you about.
>
> So what if I jump-start the process? By taking off the high spots
> first thing (say, sanding to 400-grit) and leaving the low spots much
> less low to fill in much more quickly, it is my hypothesis that my new
> chicken-frying cast iron skillet will "season" much more quickly.
>
> What say you?
>
> -Phil Crow
>
news:[email protected]...
> I've never heard of anyone having to (or wanting to) smooth down the
> surface of a quality cast-iron skillet before seasoning it and using
> it. Good grief! It's not the same as a table saw table or jointer
> table.
Wrong analogy. Think about buying a chisel or plane. They come ground but
not honed.
> If that's the case, I reckon the manufacturer would be doing
> this as part of the fishing process.
And you would think Stanley would sell planes that are lapped flat wouldn't
you?
> Fact is, you don't want it
> polished. That defeats the purpose for buying a cast iron cooking
> utensil. Check out http://www.melindalee.com/Cast-Iron.html. Treat it
> right and it'll do the job you bought it to do well. Nothing cooks
> fried chicken like a good cast iron skillet.
We're not talking about "not seasoning", we're just talking about knocking
off the high spots before you even start seasoning. Since CI is a
homogenious material, it makes no difference whether yoy season the top
layer or a couple thousanths down.
I will howerver point out that the OP should be considering a *much* more
coarse grit. Think "grinding" not "polishing".
-Steve
On 21 Mar 2006 05:44:43 -0800, [email protected] wrote:
>Well, I decided to take the angle grinder to the inside of the pan.
>Light touch, nice and slow. As one poster mentioned, this was anything
>but a quality piece of cookware. It's a 15 1/2" skillet, and cost a
>little less than a dollar an inch. While nice and heavy, it had not
>been polished or smoothed at all. So, I smoothed it. My intent was to
>knock off the bumps, but not grind down to the bottoms of the pits. So
>I did that in about 10 minutes, and Crisco'd the thing and put it on
>the grill (to avoid smoke in the house). Burned it for about a half
>hour, let it cool, then repeated. The pits are nice and black, and the
>former bumps, now flats, are a dark gray color. I think that the
>grinder idea was a pretty good one.
>
>BTW, the fried chicken was pretty damn good, but the breading was not
>crispy. Pretty good, though, for a first attempt.
>
>For those interested, I followed Alton Brown's recipe to the letter.
>
>http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,1977,FOOD_9936_15279,00.html
>
>Thanks for the responses, y'all, and all the lively banter.
>
>-Phil Crow
I like that guy. His shows are educational and funny.
Randy Replogle
<[email protected]> wrote:
>Here's my question: Can I or should I try to smooth out the inside of
>that skillet in order to help it get that well-seasoned black-iron
>slick?
I've never done anything other than extensive seasoning; however, if you
want to try it, would suggest a small right angle grinder equipped with
a mediun wire cupped wheel brush.
Easiest way to get into all the corners.
Lew
On 19 Mar 2006 17:38:32 -0800, [email protected] wrote:
>
>Cydrome Leader wrote:
>> Don't waste time grinding it away.
>>
>> Coat it in a fatty oil like olive oil, and throw it in the oven at like
>> 400 until it stops smoking. Coat it again and repeat. The first coatins
>> will be orange or yellow colored. Olive oil seasons a skillet better than
>> vegetable oil.
>>
>> ...
>
>Just keep the amount of oil to minimum. Otherwise opening the oven
>might produce an impressive fireball.
good point, Fred! (occupational thing? )
a little saying that I try to keep running through my mind on things like that
is "no drama, no trauma"..
Mac
https://home.comcast.net/~mac.davis
https://home.comcast.net/~mac.davis/wood_stuff.htm
On Mon, 20 Mar 2006 19:14:28 -0800, Zz Yzx <[email protected]> wrote:
>Yeah. Got any FREE PLANS for a dinner potatoe?
>
>-Zz
*roflmao*
that was great... worth having to clean coffee off the monitor..
>>Hey Ed... do you cut the potatoes on the CMS or the band saw?
>>
>>What angle is best for proper browning and getting them done all the way
>>through?
>>
>>I used a sawzall at 22 degrees last time and wasn't happy with the results at
>>all...
>>
>>Mac
>>
>>https://home.comcast.net/~mac.davis
>>https://home.comcast.net/~mac.davis/wood_stuff.htm
Mac
https://home.comcast.net/~mac.davis
https://home.comcast.net/~mac.davis/wood_stuff.htm
In article <[email protected]>, [email protected] wrote:
>Here's my question: Can I or should I try to smooth out the inside of
>that skillet in order to help it get that well-seasoned black-iron
>slick?
Totally unnecessary, unless your pans are really rough. I've never seen any
that were that rough.
Wipe it down with solid shortening (lard is best, but Crisco works fine), and
put it in a 400 degree oven (or heat it on a burner) until the fat starts to
smoke. Allow to cool, wipe off any remaining fat, and you're done.
Use wooden or plastic utensils when cooking, just like you would with a Teflon
pan, to avoid scratching the seasoned surface.
> My understanding of the seasoning process is that over a number
>of uses, the high spots on the iron get worn down, and the low spots
>get filled with, well, food. When the high and low spots even out,
>that's when the iron cookware gets that dull shine and non-stick
>surface that your grandma told you about.
No. The seasoning process is simply that of baking fat onto (and into) the
iron. Cast iron pans don't really wear much at all, and if you're filling the
low spots up with food (!) that means you're not cleaning the pan properly in
between uses.
Proper cleaning means rinsing with hot water (no soap), scraping or scrubbing
when needed with plastic or wooden utensils, no scouring pads or powders, and
never never NEVER putting it in the dishwasher.
>
>So what if I jump-start the process? By taking off the high spots
>first thing (say, sanding to 400-grit) and leaving the low spots much
>less low to fill in much more quickly, it is my hypothesis that my new
>chicken-frying cast iron skillet will "season" much more quickly.
Naaah. Too much work, and none of it needed. Pre-season as I described above,
then fry yourself a chicken dinner or three, and that's pretty much all you
need.
--
Regards,
Doug Miller (alphageek at milmac dot com)
It's time to throw all their damned tea in the harbor again.
On Mon, 20 Mar 2006 23:31:15 GMT, [email protected] (Doug Miller) wrote:
>In article <[email protected]>, "Martin H. Eastburn" <[email protected]> wrote:
>>And to add Never soak it - NEVER dishwasher it. That will scour the seasoning
>>out of the pan and you get to start all over. Once de-rusted...
>
>And one more thing: don't cook anything containing tomatoes in it, either,
>unless you enjoy reseasoning your cookware.
Why is that, Doug, acidity??
Mac
https://home.comcast.net/~mac.davis
https://home.comcast.net/~mac.davis/wood_stuff.htm
On Mon, 20 Mar 2006 04:23:10 GMT, "Edwin Pawlowski" <[email protected]> wrote:
>
>"George Berlinger" <[email protected]> wrote in message
>news:[email protected]...
>> What`s that have to do with woodworking.......
>
>If you want to do good woodwork, start the day with a good breakfast of
>bacon and eggs cooked in a CI pan.
>
>Later, while you are doing woodwork in the shop, you can have a roast or
>meatloaf in the CI pan cooking in the oven. Put cut up potatoes in the same
>pan around the roast. Very efficient way to cook, leaving more time for the
>woodworking.
Hey Ed... do you cut the potatoes on the CMS or the band saw?
What angle is best for proper browning and getting them done all the way
through?
I used a sawzall at 22 degrees last time and wasn't happy with the results at
all...
Mac
https://home.comcast.net/~mac.davis
https://home.comcast.net/~mac.davis/wood_stuff.htm
On 20 Mar 2006 17:11:14 -0800, "Bugs" <[email protected]> wrote:
>I see that there are a lot of fellow cast iron afficianados out there.
>In the cowboy days, the fastest way to get crosswise with the
>chuckwagon cook was to mess with his skillets. <G>
>Bugs
I was raised in Calif. but had a neighbor from the south that would cook for the
neighborhood kids...
She introduced us to "fried bread" that she did in one of her iron skillets...
loved it!
I remember her having a drawer in the stove where she stored that favorite pan..
told us she NEVER washed it, just wiped it out before and after use... must have
been ok, because non of us died from it.. *g*
Mac
https://home.comcast.net/~mac.davis
https://home.comcast.net/~mac.davis/wood_stuff.htm
<[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Bought a chicken-frying skillet today made of cast iron. I'm nothing
> you would even think of being associated with anything associated with
> metallurgy, but I would guess that the cast iron in my skillet is iron
> and 3-4% carbon.
>
> Here's my question: Can I or should I try to smooth out the inside of
> that skillet in order to help it get that well-seasoned black-iron
> slick? My understanding of the seasoning process is that over a number
> of uses, the high spots on the iron get worn down, and the low spots
> get filled with, well, food. When the high and low spots even out,
> that's when the iron cookware gets that dull shine and non-stick
> surface that your grandma told you about.
>
> So what if I jump-start the process? By taking off the high spots
> first thing (say, sanding to 400-grit) and leaving the low spots much
> less low to fill in much more quickly, it is my hypothesis that my new
> chicken-frying cast iron skillet will "season" much more quickly.
>
> What say you?
>
> -Phil Crow
>
We have tried Olive oil and 400 degree heat, not good. Then used bacon
grease at 400 degrees this works very good.
On 3/20/2006 8:11 PM Bugs mumbled something about the following:
> I see that there are a lot of fellow cast iron afficianados out there.
> In the cowboy days, the fastest way to get crosswise with the
> chuckwagon cook was to mess with his skillets. <G>
> Bugs
>
Born and raised in the deep backwoods south. Cast iron skillets, dutch
ovens, and cauldrons are the norm for cooking.
--
Odinn
RCOS #7 SENS BS ???
"The more I study religions the more I am convinced that man never
worshiped anything but himself." -- Sir Richard Francis Burton
Reeky's unofficial homepage ... http://www.reeky.org
'03 FLHTI ........... http://www.sloanclan.org/gallery/ElectraGlide
'97 VN1500D ......... http://www.sloanclan.org/gallery/VulcanClassic
Atlanta Biker Net ... http://www.atlantabiker.net
Vulcan Riders Assoc . http://www.vulcanriders.org
rot13 [email protected] to reply
<[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Bought a chicken-frying skillet today made of cast iron. I'm nothing
> you would even think of being associated with anything associated with
> metallurgy, but I would guess that the cast iron in my skillet is iron
> and 3-4% carbon.
"Cast iron" by definition contains more than 2% carbon. I don't know for
sure and a cursory Google search didn't reveal what type of cast iron is
generally used, but I'm betting that it's gray iron. Gray iron is obviously
mostly iron, with about 3-4% carbon plus Si, Mn, S, P, and sometimes a
number of other trace elements, probably a result of whatever was in the
ferrous scrap partly used to make it.
> Here's my question: Can I or should I try to smooth out the inside of
> that skillet in order to help it get that well-seasoned black-iron
> slick? My understanding of the seasoning process is that over a number
> of uses, the high spots on the iron get worn down, and the low spots
> get filled with, well, food. When the high and low spots even out,
> that's when the iron cookware gets that dull shine and non-stick
> surface that your grandma told you about.
I have a 12" cast iron skillet that I have an affection for that is rivalled
only by my KitchenAid mixer. It is completely black from several years of
use.
> So what if I jump-start the process? By taking off the high spots
> first thing (say, sanding to 400-grit) and leaving the low spots much
> less low to fill in much more quickly, it is my hypothesis that my new
> chicken-frying cast iron skillet will "season" much more quickly.
I certainly don't think you're going to hurt anything by doing this.
> What say you?
>
> -Phil Crow
todd
On 19 Mar 2006 13:38:18 -0800, [email protected] wrote:
The really amazing and enjoyable thing about this thread is that there are so
many folks here that have an opinion on cast iron skillets!
People complain about OT posts all the time but I enjoy them... I'd hate to
think that wood workers never have any thoughts about any other subject and
wouldn' t be able to help..
>Bought a chicken-frying skillet today made of cast iron. I'm nothing
>you would even think of being associated with anything associated with
>metallurgy, but I would guess that the cast iron in my skillet is iron
>and 3-4% carbon.
Mac
https://home.comcast.net/~mac.davis
https://home.comcast.net/~mac.davis/wood_stuff.htm
On Tue, 21 Mar 2006 05:44:43 -0800, phildcrowNOSPAM wrote:
>
> BTW, the fried chicken was pretty damn good, but the breading was not
> crispy. Pretty good, though, for a first attempt.
>
> For those interested, I followed Alton Brown's recipe to the letter.
>
> http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,1977,FOOD_9936_15279,00.html
>
> Thanks for the responses, y'all, and all the lively banter.
>
> -Phil Crow
Crank up the heat to just below smoking and use LOTS oc Crisco. Then, in
the last couple of minutes or so, toss in an ice cube and steam it with
the lid on. Yowza yowza! (salt, pepper, white flour or yellow cornmeal,
chicken and Crisco and the last minute ice cube are all that go into the
skillet ... nunya fancy herbs and stuff!)
;-)
Bill
"Doug Miller" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> In article <[email protected]>,
> [email protected] wrote:
>
>>Here's my question: Can I or should I try to smooth out the inside of
>>that skillet in order to help it get that well-seasoned black-iron
>>slick?
>
> Totally unnecessary, unless your pans are really rough. I've never seen
> any
> that were that rough.
>
> Wipe it down with solid shortening (lard is best, but Crisco works fine),
> and
> put it in a 400 degree oven (or heat it on a burner) until the fat starts
> to
> smoke. Allow to cool, wipe off any remaining fat, and you're done.
>
> Use wooden or plastic utensils when cooking, just like you would with a
> Teflon
> pan, to avoid scratching the seasoned surface.
>
>> My understanding of the seasoning process is that over a number
>>of uses, the high spots on the iron get worn down, and the low spots
>>get filled with, well, food. When the high and low spots even out,
>>that's when the iron cookware gets that dull shine and non-stick
>>surface that your grandma told you about.
>
> No. The seasoning process is simply that of baking fat onto (and into) the
> iron. Cast iron pans don't really wear much at all, and if you're filling
> the
> low spots up with food (!) that means you're not cleaning the pan properly
> in
> between uses.
I don't think the two of you are really saying anything much different.
What the low spots and then the surface are getting coated with is carbon
the residue of heated food (including fats).
> Proper cleaning means rinsing with hot water (no soap), scraping or
> scrubbing
> when needed with plastic or wooden utensils, no scouring pads or powders,
> and
> never never NEVER putting it in the dishwasher.
My favorite cooking show guy, Alton Brown from "Good Eats", suggests using
salt and a towel to clean the pan after use. I don't think he even uses
water. I generally use hot water and a scrub brush.
todd
"mac davis" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> On Mon, 20 Mar 2006 04:23:10 GMT, "Edwin Pawlowski" <[email protected]> wrote:
>
>>
>>"George Berlinger" <[email protected]> wrote in message
>>news:[email protected]...
>>> What`s that have to do with woodworking.......
>>
>>If you want to do good woodwork, start the day with a good breakfast of
>>bacon and eggs cooked in a CI pan.
>>
>>Later, while you are doing woodwork in the shop, you can have a roast or
>>meatloaf in the CI pan cooking in the oven. Put cut up potatoes in the
>>same
>>pan around the roast. Very efficient way to cook, leaving more time for
>>the
>>woodworking.
>
> Hey Ed... do you cut the potatoes on the CMS or the band saw?
>
> What angle is best for proper browning and getting them done all the way
> through?
>
> I used a sawzall at 22 degrees last time and wasn't happy with the results
> at
> all...
>
> Mac
Dunno about Ed but I once cut a frozen turkey in half on my bandsaw. Worked
perfectly - tasted fine with a hint of WD-40 though. Spouse thought I was
crazy - maybe that's why I am now single.
:)
Vic
Thats why I season mine in my gas grill..outside...even in the winter
(providing its warm enough for the gas to flow)
I have 3 different sizes of cast iron skillet..and a covered cast iron
chili pot as well.
I need two hands for the chili pot and the biggest (16") frypan
Mine are jet black, with a coating about 1/8". A friend of mine says
the best seasoning is to NEVER clean the pan, just heat it up nice and
hot to bind the oil and residues to the pan. I think he's the only
person in his family that will eat from it.
What I like best about the iron fry pans is I can make frittatas..fry
the potatoes, onions, sausage, etc in the pans add eggs, place
directly into the oven..cook, when done, turn over to broil to brown
the top. Don't have to worry about those plastic handled fry pans
melting.
Jerry
>Just keep the amount of oil to minimum. Otherwise opening the oven
>might produce an impressive fireball.
<<BTW, the fried chicken was pretty damn good, but the breading was not
crispy. Pretty good, though, for a first attempt.
For those interested, I followed Alton Brown's recipe to the letter.>>
I suppose it is too late to ask now that you have already taken the angle
grinder to it, but I'll bet if you e-mailed Alton Brown and inquired, he
could probably give you a scientific explanation of the relative culinary
benefits of a rough vs smooth cast iron cooking surface. I'm just guessing
but I would think the uneven texture of the cast iron creates little
channels that allow some of the grease to flow away while the food sits on
the higher spots, sort of like those special grill pans but not as
pronounced an effect. Anyway, Alton could ask Shirley and get a definitive
answer.
Lee
--
To e-mail, replace "bucketofspam" with "dleegordon"
_________________________________
Lee Gordon
http://www.leegordonproductions.com
[email protected] wrote:
>I did that in about 10 minutes, and Crisco'd the thing and put it on
>the grill (to avoid smoke in the house). Burned it for about a half
>hour, let it cool, then repeated.
Okay, question about that process. I've been told to use lard, which I
did. I found that as it heated up and lost viscosity, the surface
tension of the lard cause it to bead up. Was I using too much, or too
little? Would vegetable shortening respond any differently?
--
Alex -- Replace "nospam" with "mail" to reply by email. Checked infrequently.
On 3/19/2006 7:51 PM Warren Weber mumbled something about the following:
> <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]...
>> Bought a chicken-frying skillet today made of cast iron. I'm nothing
>> you would even think of being associated with anything associated with
>> metallurgy, but I would guess that the cast iron in my skillet is iron
>> and 3-4% carbon.
>>
>> Here's my question: Can I or should I try to smooth out the inside of
>> that skillet in order to help it get that well-seasoned black-iron
>> slick? My understanding of the seasoning process is that over a number
>> of uses, the high spots on the iron get worn down, and the low spots
>> get filled with, well, food. When the high and low spots even out,
>> that's when the iron cookware gets that dull shine and non-stick
>> surface that your grandma told you about.
>>
>> So what if I jump-start the process? By taking off the high spots
>> first thing (say, sanding to 400-grit) and leaving the low spots much
>> less low to fill in much more quickly, it is my hypothesis that my new
>> chicken-frying cast iron skillet will "season" much more quickly.
>>
>> What say you?
>>
>> -Phil Crow
>>
> We have tried Olive oil and 400 degree heat, not good. Then used bacon
> grease at 400 degrees this works very good.
>
>
Lard is the best to use for seasoning a cast iron skillet. I do it over
a fire instead of in the oven (I was taught to do it in the firebox of a
wood stove). Need to get some oak (don't use pine, don't want creosote
all over it), build a good fire and get some down to some real hot
coals, slather the skillet with lard inside and out and place just above
the coals and let the lard cook in (careful not to let it burn).
On the few occasions that reseasoning is needed for touchup, make sure
it's totally dry, lightly coat it with lard and place on the stove on
high for about 5 min (might want to turn on your vent fan), let it cool
down, and wipe out the excess lard.
NEVER let a cast iron skillet soak in water.
--
Odinn
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rot13 [email protected] to reply
Spray it with TopCote and it will not rust and the food will not stick.
;~)
<[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Bought a chicken-frying skillet today made of cast iron. I'm nothing
> you would even think of being associated with anything associated with
> metallurgy, but I would guess that the cast iron in my skillet is iron
> and 3-4% carbon.
>
> Here's my question: Can I or should I try to smooth out the inside of
> that skillet in order to help it get that well-seasoned black-iron
> slick? My understanding of the seasoning process is that over a number
> of uses, the high spots on the iron get worn down, and the low spots
> get filled with, well, food. When the high and low spots even out,
> that's when the iron cookware gets that dull shine and non-stick
> surface that your grandma told you about.
>
> So what if I jump-start the process? By taking off the high spots
> first thing (say, sanding to 400-grit) and leaving the low spots much
> less low to fill in much more quickly, it is my hypothesis that my new
> chicken-frying cast iron skillet will "season" much more quickly.
>
> What say you?
>
> -Phil Crow
>
Back on the OT subject. Go to the Lodge website. If you follow their
directions to the letter you'll not go wrong. I've got few Lodge and other
brand cast iron items and I follow their lead on seasoning. Also take a lead
from Alton Brown on the food channel he uses Kosher salt to clean the
surface while still hot using a paper towel to rub the salt around. Kosher
salt has sharp edges the abrade the food deposits off. Lightly oil after
removing the salt and food and your ready for the next time around. NEVER
use water soap or any other abrasive and you'll have one awesome pan in
short order. I've tried a ton of ways and this works great.
Rich
<[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Bought a chicken-frying skillet today made of cast iron. I'm nothing
> you would even think of being associated with anything associated with
> metallurgy, but I would guess that the cast iron in my skillet is iron
> and 3-4% carbon.
>
> Here's my question: Can I or should I try to smooth out the inside of
> that skillet in order to help it get that well-seasoned black-iron
> slick? My understanding of the seasoning process is that over a number
> of uses, the high spots on the iron get worn down, and the low spots
> get filled with, well, food. When the high and low spots even out,
> that's when the iron cookware gets that dull shine and non-stick
> surface that your grandma told you about.
>
> So what if I jump-start the process? By taking off the high spots
> first thing (say, sanding to 400-grit) and leaving the low spots much
> less low to fill in much more quickly, it is my hypothesis that my new
> chicken-frying cast iron skillet will "season" much more quickly.
>
> What say you?
>
> -Phil Crow
>