"Kajikit" > wrote in message
...
>I went to Ross looking for a new frypan yesterday and they had a small
> cast iron skillet for eight bucks... when I went into Anna's Linens
> looking for something else, an apparantly identical skillet was $24! I
> couldn't go past a bargain like that so I ducked into Ross after
> church today to get it... I got another nice deal while I was there -
> a deep rectangular stoneware baking dish with a non-stick coating
> inside.
>
> I made meatloaf for dinner tonight in the baking dish and it slid
> right out onto the plate with all its crusty goodness intact... and I
> rubbed the skillet with bacon grease and put it into the oven while
> the dinner cooked. Hopefully that'll give it a good start on its
> finish! And now I can try my hand at frying in cast iron... any
> tricks, hints or tips for me before I start frying?


Repeat the seasoning process 2 more times before using. Coat the skillet
inside and out. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes, cool, then wipe clean. Bacon
grease is OK, vegetable shortening works too.

Cleaning - NEVER any soap. Repeat NEVER any soap. Clean with a paper towel
and coarse sea salt or kosher salt. The salt is an abrasive and will do a
great job of scouring the pan out without stripping the patina. If you have
to soak, use plain water only and only for a few minutes.

Clean the pan immediately when done cooking and the pan is still hot. Just
wipe it down with paper towels. When you let the pan cool with the remains
in it the food will stick and make cleaning much harder.

Use it often, in fact make it your favorite skillet. The more you use it
the better it gets.

Try not to use it or acidic foods as it will erode the patina you've worked
so hard to create.

Never use scouring pads or cleanser.

If you do all that you will create a non-stick surface so slick you can fry
an egg in it with no oil or butter at all and it will not stick.

Paul