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Cast Iron skillets

On Fri, 26 Feb 2010 08:00:33 -0800 (PST), ImStillMags
> wrote:

>I have a Lodge now. It's been just great. I use it for lots of
>things, even cornbread.

I use a Lodge for things like pizza that don't need a smooth surface.

Lou

Cast Iron skillets

"Lou Decruss" > wrote in message
...
> On Fri, 26 Feb 2010 08:00:33 -0800 (PST), ImStillMags
> > wrote:
>
>
>>I have a Lodge now. It's been just great. I use it for lots of
>>things, even cornbread.
>
> I use a Lodge for things like pizza that don't need a smooth surface.
>
> Lou

Lodge makes good stuff, and not overpriced. I have about six Dutch Ovens,
and I like them. For camping or just cooking in the back yard, they are
great. Other cast iron pans on the stove work very well, too. Just realize
that they work better and better if you don't clean them with scrubbers and
wire brushes and such.

Steve

Cast Iron skillets

sometime in the recent past Steve B posted this:
> "Lou Decruss" > wrote in message
> ...
>> On Fri, 26 Feb 2010 08:00:33 -0800 (PST), ImStillMags
>> > wrote:
>>
>>
>>> I have a Lodge now. It's been just great. I use it for lots of
>>> things, even cornbread.
>> I use a Lodge for things like pizza that don't need a smooth surface.
>>
>> Lou
>
> Lodge makes good stuff, and not overpriced. I have about six Dutch Ovens,
> and I like them. For camping or just cooking in the back yard, they are
> great. Other cast iron pans on the stove work very well, too. Just realize
> that they work better and better if you don't clean them with scrubbers and
> wire brushes and such.
>
> Steve
>
>
I have my mother's cast iron frying pan. She went the way of the non-stick
an has bought many more of them as they do not last. I'm not sure whether
the my mother got her cast iron pan from her mother or not, but the point
is, I'll be able to pass this one onto my children, but most likely they'll
whine at the level of care necessary.

But, if I understand Lou's complaint, every cast iron frying pan I've looked
at recently comes straight from the Chinese foundry right out of a sand-cast
mold and has never been ground smooth. And no amount of 'sand & burlap' will
ever get them smooth like the old one I have.

And, to answer someone else, it's not smooth because of the baked on grease.
How disgusting! The grease that has scaled and burnt to the outside of the
pan is generations old, but affects nothing.

I wash the insides of mine with hot soapy water and a soft cloth. Then I use
salt & a paper towel to remove any crusty bits. Finally, I re-season with
peanut oil (read high burning temperature) heating the pan until it smokes.

--
Wilson 44.69, -67.3

Cast Iron skillets

In article >,
Wilson > wrote:

> I have my mother's cast iron frying pan. She went the way of the non-stick
> an has bought many more of them as they do not last. I'm not sure whether
> the my mother got her cast iron pan from her mother or not, but the point
> is, I'll be able to pass this one onto my children, but most likely they'll
> whine at the level of care necessary.

Okay, I just don't get this! A cast iron pan is not that big of a
freakin' deal to care for. I will scrub mine gently with a nylon
scrubbie, a bit of soap and warm water right after I finish using it,
rinse and dry it, then take a paper towel and a little olive or peanut
or grapeseed oil and wipe the entire inside. Takes me maybe 3 minutes...

Geeze!

As long as I keep it well seasoned, cleanup is a breeze. The only thing
that tends to want to stick is eggs sometimes, but that's rare any more
now that I have keeping my pans seasoned down pat. :-)
--
Peace! Om

"Human nature seems to be to control other people until they put their foot down."
--Steve Rothstein

Web Albums: <http://picasaweb.google.com/OMPOmelet>

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Cast Iron skillets

Omelet > wrote:

>Okay, I just don't get this! A cast iron pan is not that big of a
>freakin' deal to care for. I will scrub mine gently with a nylon
>scrubbie, a bit of soap and warm water right after I finish using it,
>rinse and dry it, then take a paper towel and a little olive or peanut
>or grapeseed oil and wipe the entire inside. Takes me maybe 3 minutes...
>
>Geeze!

The nylon scrubbie is important. I've run into people who
have never used these, and who have trouble cleaning various items
of cookware easily.

I like the one called Tuffy:

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/...60__SS120_.jpg

Steve

Cast Iron skillets

"Steve Pope" > wrote in message
...
> Omelet > wrote:
>
>>Okay, I just don't get this! A cast iron pan is not that big of a
>>freakin' deal to care for. I will scrub mine gently with a nylon
>>scrubbie, a bit of soap and warm water right after I finish using it,
>>rinse and dry it, then take a paper towel and a little olive or peanut
>>or grapeseed oil and wipe the entire inside. Takes me maybe 3 minutes...
>>
>>Geeze!
>
> The nylon scrubbie is important. I've run into people who
> have never used these, and who have trouble cleaning various items
> of cookware easily.
>
> I like the one called Tuffy:
>
> http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/...60__SS120_.jpg
>
>
> Steve

Sometimes, like when I cook a roast in it, and it has "stuff" on it from
browning that's stuck, I fill it half full of water and boil. It makes the
"stuff" soft, and comes right off. I may be loosening the seasoning though.
Eh?

Steve

Cast Iron skillets

On 2/28/2010 11:42 PM, Steve B wrote:
> "Steve > wrote in message
> ...
>> > wrote:
>>
>>> Okay, I just don't get this! A cast iron pan is not that big of a
>>> freakin' deal to care for. I will scrub mine gently with a nylon
>>> scrubbie, a bit of soap and warm water right after I finish using it,
>>> rinse and dry it, then take a paper towel and a little olive or peanut
>>> or grapeseed oil and wipe the entire inside. Takes me maybe 3 minutes...
>>>
>>> Geeze!
>>
>> The nylon scrubbie is important. I've run into people who
>> have never used these, and who have trouble cleaning various items
>> of cookware easily.
>>
>> I like the one called Tuffy:
>>
>> http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/...60__SS120_.jpg
>>
>>
>> Steve
>
> Sometimes, like when I cook a roast in it, and it has "stuff" on it from
> browning that's stuck, I fill it half full of water and boil. It makes the
> "stuff" soft, and comes right off. I may be loosening the seasoning though.
> Eh?

Horrors. That's good stuff you're tossing. Put some wine in the pan,
heat it while you scrape off the fond, when you've boiled off about half
the wine then dump the whole mess into your gravy.

Cast Iron skillets

Christine wrote about deglazing:

> You aren't adding enough liquid, and not cooking enough to get it to
> loosen. And it helps to use something like a flat whisk, which is
> made for things like that...

Allow me to add some vague stuff in an effort to clarify the process. First,
you need to add enough liquid so that it slightly sloshes around in the pan.
It ought to go without saying, but just to be sure I'll say this: The liquid
that you add should not be an oily liquid. It should be something aqueous
like water, stock, or some kind of booze. But you don't want to add too much
liquid, because that would lower the heat of the pan.

The pan should be hot enough that the liquid starts boiling furiously
immediately. While it's boiling, you should be furiously scraping the bottom
and sides of the pan to remove that browned-on food, because it tastes
really, really good. I use a wooden spatula for the scraping, but you can
use anything you like. Whatever you choose, it should have a fairly flat
edge so that you can scrape it along the bottom of the pan.

It's also possible to deglaze in a wok, in which case you should use one of
those wok spatulas with the curved leading edge which conforms to the curve
of the wok.

Some recipes have you add onions or other watery vegetables (e.g. celery or
mushrooms) to the pan instead of liquid, because the vegetables will give
off liquid which you can then use to deglaze. In that case, you want the
temperature to be a bit lower, so that the vegetables don't scorch before
they give off their liquid. When I made crab bisque recently, I was able to
use leek greens as a kind of squeegee to loosen and scrape off the fond.
(Good thing I saved them, rather than discarding them as garbage the way a
clueless AOL newbie would have!)

The important thing to realize is that the fond is your PAYOFF for having
the patience to brown meat and veggies thoroughly, and you deserve to enjoy
every single molecule of the flavorful stuff! There's a clueless newbie here
who can't seem to grasp the importance of browning meat well for braises,
but it's a rare person indeed who is so dull-witted and senseless that he or
she can't tell the difference when the two are tasted side by side.

Bob

Cast Iron skillets

On Sun, 28 Feb 2010 12:20:37 -0500, Wilson >
wrote:

>sometime in the recent past Steve B posted this:
>> "Lou Decruss" > wrote in message
>> ...
>>> On Fri, 26 Feb 2010 08:00:33 -0800 (PST), ImStillMags
>>> > wrote:
>>>
>>>
>>>> I have a Lodge now. It's been just great. I use it for lots of
>>>> things, even cornbread.
>>> I use a Lodge for things like pizza that don't need a smooth surface.
>>>
>>> Lou
>>
>> Lodge makes good stuff, and not overpriced. I have about six Dutch Ovens,
>> and I like them. For camping or just cooking in the back yard, they are
>> great. Other cast iron pans on the stove work very well, too. Just realize
>> that they work better and better if you don't clean them with scrubbers and
>> wire brushes and such.
>>
>> Steve
>>
>>
>I have my mother's cast iron frying pan. She went the way of the non-stick
>an has bought many more of them as they do not last.

My mom did the same thing. She had pans from her mother and
grandmother. When non-stick came out she stopped using them. Luckily
for me she stored them for over 30 years until they became mine.

>I'm not sure whether
>the my mother got her cast iron pan from her mother or not, but the point
>is, I'll be able to pass this one onto my children, but most likely they'll
>whine at the level of care necessary.

Most folks don't like cooking enough to want to be bothered with care
of cooking items. If it won't go in the dishwasher they don't want
it. I don't find fault with this it's just a matter of different
priorities. Hopefully whoever ends up with your pan will appreciate
it. This past summer I went to a block sale and scored an old wagner
in pristine condition for a dollar. That night we were sitting around
a campfire at our cottage with neighbors talking about the things we
has found that day. I didn't realize my foodie buddie didn't own any
cast. I went and got the pan and gave it to him. It was probably the
most appreciated gift I've ever given. He sat in his chair for hours
holding it. Some people know the difference between old and new.

>But, if I understand Lou's complaint, every cast iron frying pan I've looked
>at recently comes straight from the Chinese foundry right out of a sand-cast
>mold and has never been ground smooth. And no amount of 'sand & burlap' will
>ever get them smooth like the old one I have.

Thank you Wilson! You ain't yer average volleyball. There seems to
be some sort of cult here that wants us to believe that Lodge is the
king. But at least a few of us know better.

>And, to answer someone else, it's not smooth because of the baked on grease.
>How disgusting! The grease that has scaled and burnt to the outside of the
>pan is generations old, but affects nothing.

Yep. It seems folks think you can fill in the nubs with grease like
using spackle on a wall. I've got four pans waiting for restoration.
One even has the factory hammered exterior which is a hard to find
collectable. I should be working on those now rather than posting to
usenet.

>I wash the insides of mine with hot soapy water and a soft cloth. Then I use
>salt & a paper towel to remove any crusty bits. Finally, I re-season with
>peanut oil (read high burning temperature) heating the pan until it smokes.

Yer a smart volleyball Wilson.

Lou