What's Cooking?

[MOPanfisher]

That's some nice iron BH.  when I was first married my wife decided to scurb out one of my cast iron skillets.  I was a little upset, she even cried.  now she is better although from time to time I chastise her for skillet abuse like cooking stuff on too high heat or not cleaning it quickly.  usually I simply dumpnsome water in it after use and steam/simmer it a little while, at that point it will usually scrub right put with minimal pressure from a plastic scrubbie.  for seasoning I do cisco and put it on the grill to keep the smoke out of the house.  I even rescued one from a house fire after convincing the owner not to throw them away,  cleaned up, crisco grill etc.  it was just fine.  I also dry my skillets in the stove after cleaning and give them a light vegetable oil rub before storing them on top of my heating stove. (propane), even acts as a heat sink in winter to absorb heat and release it slowly through the cast iron skillets on top.

[rps]

When you have a "jacked up" cast iron vessel, fill it to the brim with rock salt and heat that sucker at 500 degrees for an hour. That will pull all oil and other matter loose from the iron. Carefully pour the salt somewhere that will not catch fire or harm anyone. Immediately fill the vessel with a neutral and high heat oil like canola, safflower, or coconut. Heat that at 350 for an hour. Pour the ruined oil out (someplace safe!) and wipe down the pan with paper towels.

I know, this seems wasteful of salt and oil, but it works on even the most mistreated cast iron. They had a whole lesson on this in culinary school.

[Terrierman]

1 hour ago, rps said:

When you have a "jacked up" cast iron vessel, fill it to the brim with rock salt and heat that sucker at 500 degrees for an hour. That will pull all oil and other matter loose from the iron. Carefully pour the salt somewhere that will not catch fire or harm anyone. Immediately fill the vessel with a neutral and high heat oil like canola, safflower, or coconut. Heat that at 350 for an hour. Pour the ruined oil out (someplace safe!) and wipe down the pan with paper towels.

I know, this seems wasteful of salt and oil, but it works on even the most mistreated cast iron. They had a whole lesson on this in culinary school.

You can also throw one in a good hot wood fire.  A pop bottle melter grade fire.  When the fire is out the next day, wipe out the skillet, oil it down and you are good to go.  They had a lesson on this too but I think it was hillbilly school.

[ness]

Or just fry a bunch of bacon in it. ?

[Gavin]

My Dutch Oven's get jacked up more than my skillets. I just toss them in the oven on self clean overnight, then re-season.

 

 

 

[rps]

6 hours ago, Gavin said:

My Dutch Oven's get jacked up more than my skillets. I just toss them in the oven on self clean overnight, then re-season.

 

 

 

Nan and I actually have three dutch ovens. Two have ceramic linings and the third is a classic Lodge. We use the Lodge to bake her No Knead Brad. Search Cooks Illustrated No Knead Bread to see what we bake and why. The other two are everyday vessels that require lubes to cook.

[ness]

I've got one of the enameled cast iron Dutch ovens. I love that cooking vessel. 

[MOPanfisher]

I have one enameled one I bought some years back, didnt expect to use it that much honestly but we use the heck.out of it.  soups, stews, jambalaya, chili etc etc.  anything you want to.cook low and slow without having all day to wait on a crockpot.  I may give the fish/seafood chowder a shot in it this weekend if I don't get busy fishing or mowing the grass one last time.

[Flysmallie]

I have two dutch ovens. A 7 quart and a 10" camp. The camp DO sees all the work. Many late night gravel bar cobblers and also early morning biscuits. Worth every penny. 

[Smalls21]

I gave my wife a Dutch Oven once, she said if ever did it again she would divorce me