quote:

Originally posted by YellowJacket:
got a cool present for my birthday last week from my mom. 6 1/2" lodge... perfect for cornbread for two (unless I eat it all.)

I think I'm going to have to make that tonight. What size pan?

I have a bunch of CI. I have lodge, birmingham, griswold and I even scored a big Erie.

I love doing cornbread in my lodge cornbread pan (makes wedges) and my wagner cornstick pan. pizza in a big pan makes for a very crunchy crust.

I don't have one of these, but it sure looks like a great product. Not cheap, as far as cast iron pans go. Still, cheaper than my Le Creuset though.

http://www.stargazercastiron.com/

For Lodge "pre-seasoned" cast iron cookware, do you still season it? I've seen things saying both.

quote:

Originally posted by ryan81986:
For Lodge "pre-seasoned" cast iron cookware, do you still season it? I've seen things saying both.

I do, by burning ribeyes in a (super) hot oven. Nothing seasons a pan better than the tallow from a steak creating polymers on the surface of the iron.

I bought a new 10.25" pan and a large skillet for Christmas. Our old pan had a fishy smell to it from when we lived in NJ and blackened Striped Bass got cooked in it. Our old pan was a hand me down from my parents and might be 40-50 years old.

Anyone know of a way to remove that smell, it cooks into other foods?

quote:

Originally posted by ryan81986:
For Lodge "pre-seasoned" cast iron cookware, do you still season it? I've seen things saying both.

I season by using it. Hit it with some soap and water to get any residue from the store off of it, then go to town. Rub some butter on it before you cook, and you should be good to go!

quote:

Originally posted by UTsig:
I bought a new 10.25" pan and a large skillet for Christmas. Our old pan had a fishy smell to it from when we lived in NJ and blackened Striped Bass got cooked in it. Our old pan was a hand me down from my parents and might be 40-50 years old.

Anyone know of a way to remove that smell, it cooks into other foods?

i would use a non citrus based soap and hot water. someone might freak out about using soap, but it is not that big of a deal. non citrus based. and a brush.

quote:

Originally posted by LS1 GTO:

quote:

Originally posted by YellowJacket:
got a cool present for my birthday last week from my mom. 6 1/2" lodge... perfect for cornbread for two (unless I eat it all.)

I think I'm going to have to make that tonight. What size pan?

That's a 6.5", so basically a #3. The recipe, if you can't make it out:

1 Cup Martha White cornmeal mix
1 large egg
1/2-3/4 cup of milk

Grease skillet with shortening and place in 425* oven. Mix ingredients in bowl- should be creamy and pourable. When skillet is hot (7-8 minutes), pour batter in and bake until golden brown (15-20 minutes.) Turn out onto plate and enjoy!

I'll just add this again to another cast iron thread.

It is a MYTH that you cannot use soap with cast iron cookware.

Seasoning, as Signified has stated, is the polymerization of fats. In other words, your cast iron cookware is coated with (basically) plastic. Soap is not going to harm it in any way unless you scrub the hell out of it.

I have been cooking with cast iron skillets, griddles, and dutch ovens for decades and almost always clean them with warm water, a soft scrubber, and Dawn. It works like a charm and doesn't hurt them in any way, shape, or form.

quote:

Originally posted by Gustofer:
I'll just add this again to another cast iron thread.

It is a MYTH that you cannot use soap with cast iron cookware.

Seasoning, as Signified has stated, is the polymerization of fats. In other words, your cast iron cookware is coated with (basically) plastic. Soap is not going to harm it in any way unless you scrub the hell out of it.

I have been cooking with cast iron skillets, griddles, and dutch ovens for decades and almost always clean them with warm water, a soft scrubber, and Dawn. It works like a charm and doesn't hurt them in any way, shape, or form.

B'zactly!

If you like deep dish pizza, make it in one of these skillets. It's hard to get the youngest to come over for a visit, but for the pizza from one of these, he'll make the sacrifice!

We use Finex cast iron skillets and that is about all we use. Once in awhile a carbon steel wok but the cast iron gets most of our time.

quote:

Originally posted by UTsig:
I bought a new 10.25" pan and a large skillet for Christmas. Our old pan had a fishy smell to it from when we lived in NJ and blackened Striped Bass got cooked in it. Our old pan was a hand me down from my parents and might be 40-50 years old.

Anyone know of a way to remove that smell, it cooks into other foods?

Simply follow the instructions in the previously posted video; if done properly, every bit of organic material should be cooked right out of it, and you're ready to re-season and start from scratch.

quote:

Originally posted by gearhounds:

quote:

Originally posted by UTsig:
I bought a new 10.25" pan and a large skillet for Christmas. Our old pan had a fishy smell to it from when we lived in NJ and blackened Striped Bass got cooked in it. Our old pan was a hand me down from my parents and might be 40-50 years old.

Anyone know of a way to remove that smell, it cooks into other foods?

Simply follow the instructions in the previously posted video; if done properly, every bit of organic material should be cooked right out of it, and you're ready to re-season and start from scratch.

Thanks, for the replies, we'll give it a try!

I love my cast iron skillets. The only time I would use non stick is perhaps if I were making crepes. And I haven't done that in years.

quote:

Originally posted by gearhounds:


For a cleaning device, after years of trying different ways, I strongly recommend a chain mail style scrubber. No soap is ever needed, it will gently scrape away the most stubborn cooked on food, and leave the pan glossy, slick, and uniform. For anyone getting the heebie-jeebies about never using soap, it is cookware; it gets hot enough to kill anything that could possibly get a foothold in it.

Chain mall here too.... absolutely the best method for cleaning cast iron pans!

Out back I do my messy cooking. An old rollup-door lateral drawer file cabinet. On a pull-out shelf, a two burner commercial gas range. 30,000 BTUs per burner. Plus a 30# propane tank and a stack of cast iron cookware of different properties.

The go-to is large and heavy. Has not been washed in years. After use, I'll scrape it, pour out the oil/grease, and wipe it with an old greasy rag. Then flip it upside down and burn the inside.

When it is time to cook, I'll set it right, heat it up until it's smoking, and go to it. Sometimes add olive oil and give it another scrape. Olive oil can take a lot of heat.

Some of the best steaks I've eaten were cooked out back. Make that EVERY of the best steaks. A thin ⅝" cut, seared under a minute per side and its actually overdone. I can eat three or four of them.

To clean, I will boil water an scrape the chunks off. Then I use a wet paper towel, warm water, and coarse sea salt and scrub the pan. Dry with a dish towel. Then coat with bacon grease or coconut oil.

Is it just me, or does nothing else sound like the snap, crackle and pop of eggs frying on hot oiled cast iron pan?