Care and feeding of cast iron

[HATCHCHASER]

Be sure to buy the ones made in USA.  Lodge is a good one.  I like to use the grill to season mine and a campfire works real nice.  You've never had fried taters and onions till you cook em over a fire in a cast iron skillet!

[fido dog]

Also, cast iron cookware will hold heat better on a stove. I never take mine to "High" on the stove. You don't need to.

Season with Vegitable Oil.........animal fats can become a bit rancid if the pan isn't used for a while. Cook with whatever type of fat, but season with a vegitable oil.

All I cook on at home is cast iron (for the most). Once you get used to it, it's great! The hardest thing for me was cooking fancy dinners on stainless steel and copper then taking the move into cast iron. The food really does come out nice. Just watch the temps.

[Dave Bulla]

fido dog,

Question, have you never had a bottle of vegetable oil go rancid on you?  I have and it smells awfull.  I've heard the same type comments many times about using it to season cast iron for that reason but I simply don't understand it as both can go rancid.

[fido dog]

Dave,

Very true. Animal fat will turn before veggie though. If I don't use a pan for a month I will reseason no matter what was on it.

+1 on the Wagner! I have 2 Wagner skillets and the finish is much nicer. I just wipe 'em out.

[bayoulongbowman]

Well being a old cajun I have to chime in hear. Take ur ducthoven outside or in a fire place or barbecue pit, put good coating of Lard on it .That right Lard. Place in fire for 45 min. to hour or so ...let naturally cool down , when cool coat again ...and again...cool down ..now light coat of oil and put up till next cooking (watch out for paper towels can leave little pieces)...cleaning hot hot water, get ya some of those plastic tuffies, use salt for apprasive. when clean rinse several times really hot water. then dry , coat with very light oil and store dutchoven...beware of anyother cleaning metods ,Iron can make  some people sick,  cant take the iron in cooking ...but this is rare. If someone ever gives you a pot or set cast iron already seasoned through years of cooking , bubba ya got something there , let me tell you , in Lousiana there pasted down to family and friends , what a gift!    

[Don Stokes]

Quoting from an article by Dean Torges on how to restore an iron skillet that sticks:

"If the skillet has cooking oil on it, wash it with warm soapy water. Never again rub it with oil; never again subject it to soapy water. Dry the skillet and rub a thin film of Crisco vegetable shortening, or tallow, or lard (such as bacon grease or rendered bear fat) over the bottom with a crumpled section of waxed paper or paper towel. Turn the burner to medium heat. Within 10 minutes, the film of grease will dry up and coat the bottom. After it dries, repeat the process. Do it several more times; lay in a thin coat of grease in the hot skillet bottom, wait til it hardens, then lay in another. It will smoke slightly upon application, but soon you will have created a slick, moisture resistant, hardened film of grease."

Dean is a consummate iron-ware chef; check out his web site at   http://www.bowyersedge.com/   for some mouth-watering examples.

[fido dog]

Good Lord.......The Venison Shanks sound incredible! Thanks!