What's new

Lodge Cast Iron Skillets

Rating - 100%
73   0   0
Joined
May 31, 2015
Messages
1,440
Location
Cincinnati, OH
I used to grill only. About 3 mos ago I snagged a few cast iron pans. Now I hardly grill anymore. Steaks, chicken, pork chops, you name it. Love love love my cast iron pans.
 

A Huge Nerd

Lee-Hair-Oh
Rating - 100%
39   0   0
Joined
Jun 5, 2015
Messages
1,647
Location
Forest Lake, MN
If you don't want to stink up the house, and you have a charcoal grill, try this:

Start your coals and heat your oven to 500 F and put your iron skillet in the oven to heat up. While things are heating up, season the steak with lots of kosher salt. Let it get close to room temp. You don't want to do this with a cold steak from the fridge. When the coals are ready, take the pan from the oven out to the grill and bed it right on the coals. Make sure the pan is ripping hot and place the steak in the pan. 2 minutes each side. Then take the pan with the steak and put it back in the oven for 4 minutes. Remove the steak from the pan and let it rest on a cutting board for at least 5 minutes before cutting. Enjoy!

Yes, I realize you could skip the pan and just grill the steak over the charcoal... But where's the fun in that? ;)
 
Rating - 100%
59   0   0
Joined
Nov 16, 2014
Messages
3,491
I love cast iron skillets. I have several of various sizes and a muffin pan as well.
I cook with bacon grease, but I season and clean it with Crisco.
I'm always looking to pick some up at garage sales and flea markets.

Sent from my VS985 4G using Tapatalk
 
Last edited:

Mr.Draned

The Grey Rooster
Rating - 100%
32   0   0
Joined
Feb 4, 2015
Messages
2,406
Location
Spring City, PA
Nice.

Preheat it under the broiler in the oven for 15-20 mins if you're doing steaks. And open the windows... :)
You beat me to it.
Follow this advice and you will get restaurant quality sear on the meat, and great flavor.
One more thing, if you have a box fan, put it in the window as an exhaust!
 
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Joined
Feb 24, 2016
Messages
36
Location
South Florida
I've had the one in the OP for years as well as the 10" and as horrible as I am about maintaining them properly they always come back to life with a little crisco rub down.

Pro Tip: don't make the same mistake I was making for first few months, make sure you also rub down the pan.. turns out applying crisco to your torso doesn't do much for the pan. :shrugs:
 
Rating - 100%
51   0   0
Joined
Nov 18, 2013
Messages
8,056
Location
Naperville, IL USA
Oh yeah! I have a 12" skillet, a 10" deep cooker with lid (that can be used as a small skillet), and a Dutch oven. I love them.

Occasionally you'll want/need to reseason them. Not a big deal. I don't use Crisco, but you certainly can! When you season a pan, you want to bake it as hot as you can for at least an hour - this causes polymerization of the oil and the oil turns into an almost plastic or resin like substance that adheres to the skillet. Here's how I do it:
  1. I use flaxseed oil; it's the food safe version of linseed oil and has a really high smoking point.
  2. Get the pan nice and clean and dry.
  3. Coat the entire pan with the flaxseed oil and then use a paper towel to wipe all the oil off, leaving a very, very thin layer of oil in the pan.
  4. Put the pan upside-down into a preheated oven (475 degrees). I put it in upside down so that if there is any excess oil, it will drip out onto a layer of aluminum foil that I placed in the bottom of the oven. THe smoking point of flaxseed oil is higher than 475 so you can keep it in the hot oven as long as you want without filling your house with smoke.
  5. Let it "cook" for about 90 minutes and then turn the oven off. I keep it in the oven until it's cool enough to touch and take out with my bare hands.
I stay away from animal fats for seasoning the pan (lard, butter, bacon grease, etc.) as they have a low smoking point and can go rancid (actually, always check whatever oil you use to see if it has gone rancid before using it).
Remember, try to avoid using high acidic foods in it (like tomato sauce) and, for Cthulu's sake, don't put it through the dishwasher!
If it's taken care of, one of your grandkids can easily hand it down to one of their grandkids.
 
Rating - 100%
51   0   0
Joined
Nov 18, 2013
Messages
8,056
Location
Naperville, IL USA
...I'm always looking to pick some up at garage sales and flea markets.

Sent from my VS985 4G using Tapatalk
Absolutely! Even if it's covered in rust, you can usually bring it back. If the iron is starting to flake, I would leave it alone but if it is nothing but surface rust, you can get a great deal on a pan or pot that will last you another 100 years
 
Rating - 100%
4   0   0
Joined
Mar 14, 2015
Messages
1,354
Location
Denver, CO
If you don't want to stink up the house, and you have a charcoal grill, try this:

Start your coals and heat your oven to 500 F and put your iron skillet in the oven to heat up. While things are heating up, season the steak with lots of kosher salt. Let it get close to room temp. You don't want to do this with a cold steak from the fridge. When the coals are ready, take the pan from the oven out to the grill and bed it right on the coals. Make sure the pan is ripping hot and place the steak in the pan. 2 minutes each side. Then take the pan with the steak and put it back in the oven for 4 minutes. Remove the steak from the pan and let it rest on a cutting board for at least 5 minutes before cutting. Enjoy!

Yes, I realize you could skip the pan and just grill the steak over the charcoal... But where's the fun in that? ;)
This is brilliant!! I've stopped using my cast iron pans because of the smoke it creates and stinks out the apt for days.

I love cooking meat in the skillet but smoking out the whole place in 3 minutes just isn't worth it to me. I'm going to try this!
 
Rating - 100%
51   0   0
Joined
Nov 18, 2013
Messages
8,056
Location
Naperville, IL USA
This is brilliant!! I've stopped using my cast iron pans because of the smoke it creates and stinks out the apt for days.

I love cooking meat in the skillet but smoking out the whole place in 3 minutes just isn't worth it to me. I'm going to try this!
Plus it gives me another reason to buy a box fan besides using it as part of a filtration system so that I can smoke pipes indoors in the Winter
 
Rating - 100%
51   0   0
Joined
Nov 18, 2013
Messages
8,056
Location
Naperville, IL USA
Top