OK you're in! lol
Calling all Cast Iron Chefs
- Thread starter Pepperfreak
- Start date
OK you're in! lol
Just bought a CI at Walmart. Just basic and only 12" I will get a good one after I learn how to use it. Is Lodge a decent brand? It was only $18.
If its heavy its a good one, cast is cast. Some have a flare to the handle, which helps with the balance. Seasoning is a must, as with a deep dish pizza pan. When I was a young one I worked in "Orlando's" That was an old Italian resturant.....I do have stories, some my closest friends don't know about. But, we use to " bottom" oil the cast and the 1 1/2 and 2" deep dish pans with
Pomace oil, which is a 1st press olive oil. It's cheap, gives flavor to the skins and other dishes and has a higher smoking point than most oils. But the cast that we used was a heavy mother. The kind that could sit "in" a fire. The dish washers would never use soap in them or else!..........and nobody likes ...... "or else" .
The seasoned pans would have made thee best jalapeno cornbread, .........but not in "Michael's kitchen" We made a form of Focaccia bread with the pan, can't remember what we called it. It wasn't on the menu but made special on request.....We used gal cans of whole Marzano's, squished into the bread dough, some good sea salt, torn basil and a drizzle of (bp) as someone called it here. No oil in the dough, that allows it to "spring".....I can still smell it now......wow
Sorry about rambling.....your cast iron will work fine the more you use and season it the better the flavor will be....no soap....or else...ha........and never put it to bed wet, always dry the pan after rincing it out, and add a bit of oil and rub the pan inside and out......no rust needed!
Greg
Lodge CI is good - Made in USA.
Lodge Enameled CI - The enameling process is done in China.
Lodge Enameled CI - The enameling process is done in China.
In golf cast clubs are iiicckkk! I started seasoning it this past weekend. Just curious about cleaning. Being new and using cheese I had some stickies. I warmed some oil and sprinkled salt in it. Tried using the salt as an abrasive. That would do in a pinch but there has to be a better way.
CLEANING? Who needs to clean a CI? Paper towel and water makes everything taste scrumptious. But if you must get rid of the tasty bits of awesomeness, some water brought to a light simmer, followed by a soft brush and NO SOAP!!!! will do the trick. Welcome to the Club!
salsalady
Business Member
+1 to ^
Hot or at least warm pan and plain water will lift most everything out of the pan. Get the pan warm/hot and pour in some hot tap water will lift out most everything. Or, as soon as you're done cooking, and while the pan is still hot, add some water. Drain all grease out of the pan before adding water to a hot pan.
Sometimes I get something really burnt on . A metal turner (thin, so it will scrape the pan) helps or at least a plastic scrubber pad. No Soap-
Hot or at least warm pan and plain water will lift most everything out of the pan. Get the pan warm/hot and pour in some hot tap water will lift out most everything. Or, as soon as you're done cooking, and while the pan is still hot, add some water. Drain all grease out of the pan before adding water to a hot pan.
Sometimes I get something really burnt on . A metal turner (thin, so it will scrape the pan) helps or at least a plastic scrubber pad. No Soap-
Hahaha@ draining grease out of pan before pouring water in. I learned that lesson at age 10.
MGOLD I vow to never clean it from this day forth. Thanks again for the info folks.
MGOLD I vow to never clean it from this day forth. Thanks again for the info folks.
Just found this thread and haven't had a chance to read it through, but I love my cast and have several to pick from, dating back to my Great Grandmothers day....Almost civil war era lol.
Nothing fries a chicken better than cast!!!!
Nothing fries a chicken better than cast!!!!
Here's one. Dang, I cooked my way through college with CI xx years ago. Mostly phenom pancakes and other great breakfast items egg and bacon oriented, IIRC. Somehow lost my way with advent of quality SS and, yes, marriage to a great cook. This thread has awakened an old spirit.
I discovered the wife unit had not discarded one of the old CI. It is somewhat lacking in seasoning, so I fired up some olive oil and it came to life anyway!
Everything in there except the oil is home grown. Except the cow, which my friend raised with loving care, until he killed and butchered it, and sold it to me. Tenderloin cut , baby. So: hot smokin oil, home grown Parma onion, pickled jalapeno, jalapeno powder (on the cow), garlic powder (not visible, but an active ingredient), a couple of stray pequins from my dwindling supply. Flip when blackened to your specs...
It won't win any Throwdown with the skills of you cats, but it is amazing how Old Blackie performs with ease. Even cavemen could do it. Maybe they did!
Served with the last of the garden's little carrots, steamed, drizzle olive oil. I forgot how tasty pickled jals taste when blackened a bit.
I discovered the wife unit had not discarded one of the old CI. It is somewhat lacking in seasoning, so I fired up some olive oil and it came to life anyway!
Everything in there except the oil is home grown. Except the cow, which my friend raised with loving care, until he killed and butchered it, and sold it to me. Tenderloin cut , baby. So: hot smokin oil, home grown Parma onion, pickled jalapeno, jalapeno powder (on the cow), garlic powder (not visible, but an active ingredient), a couple of stray pequins from my dwindling supply. Flip when blackened to your specs...
It won't win any Throwdown with the skills of you cats, but it is amazing how Old Blackie performs with ease. Even cavemen could do it. Maybe they did!
Served with the last of the garden's little carrots, steamed, drizzle olive oil. I forgot how tasty pickled jals taste when blackened a bit.
salsalady
Business Member
MGold- there are full websites dedicated to CI, their seasonings, cooking, recipes and such. Much more than you'll get here on THP. They have ALL the recipes you could ever look for. Look up a few and I bet they have a recipe at least similar to whatever you might be thinking of.
edit- just laughing at myself for refering to CI as a "their seasonings" instead of "it's seasonings..."
edit- just laughing at myself for refering to CI as a "their seasonings" instead of "it's seasonings..."
Here's one. Dang, I cooked my way through college with CI xx years ago. Mostly phenom pancakes and other great breakfast items egg and bacon oriented, IIRC. Somehow lost my way with advent of quality SS and, yes, marriage to a great cook. This thread has awakened an old spirit.
I discovered the wife unit had not discarded one of the old CI. It is somewhat lacking in seasoning, so I fired up some olive oil and it came to life anyway!
Everything in there except the oil is home grown. Except the cow, which my friend raised with loving care, until he killed and butchered it, and sold it to me. Tenderloin cut , baby. So: hot smokin oil, home grown Parma onion, pickled jalapeno, jalapeno powder (on the cow), garlic powder (not visible, but an active ingredient), a couple of stray pequins from my dwindling supply. Flip when blackened to your specs...
It won't win any Throwdown with the skills of you cats, but it is amazing how Old Blackie performs with ease. Even cavemen could do it. Maybe they did!
Served with the last of the garden's little carrots, steamed, drizzle olive oil. I forgot how tasty pickled jals taste when blackened a bit.
Hey Sil,
Well put............seasoned, cooked and ,plated...........what time can I fly over!
Greg
Hey Greg, now don't buffalo me. I'm just illustrating how easily the CI perform. I have sorta come full circle, though: My first read ever on this board was Texas Blues cookin with pequins in CI in the inaugural Drunken Chef. It will be quite a show when the big guns come out for the rumored CI Throwdown.
I'm glad I found this thread, though, I'm going to tune up my one lonely CI using some of the seasoning techniques here. My old college pans were in way better shape...if I can possibly recall correctly through those hazy memories...
I'm glad I found this thread, though, I'm going to tune up my one lonely CI using some of the seasoning techniques here. My old college pans were in way better shape...if I can possibly recall correctly through those hazy memories...
Not really looking for anything in particular. I was just curious to see what everyone's fav CI meal was.
