I'm scared of my cast iron skillet.

[ladee]

Nothing tastes as good as cornbread in a cast-iron skillet!! I would put oil in it, put it in the oven to warm while I was making the cornbread batter. Take it out and pour the batter in and oh my goodness, some great cornbread! And a hint for making cornbread, add two eggs instead of one. OH to die for!!

You are going to conquer this whole cast iron thing. You are already an exceptional cook so adding this to your skills, shoot woman, the sky's the limit!!! I'll give you the recipe for pork chops and rice when you are ready!!!! One of my favorites. You got this Teasel.

Using cast iron to cook in is like our recovery. Lots of 'do overs' until we get the hang of it. No failures, just practice for how we want and need it to be. Thanks for inviting us along on this cooking adventure!!! Big hearthugs to you T!!!

 

[user27357]

I admit, I thought the "scared of my skillet" thread was going to be about a past trauma involving a kitchen utensile. Thats funny now, but I have avoided this thread for so long fearing a triggering story, someone somewhere isn't laughing.

We love our Dutch oven that belonged to my wifes grandmother when they lived in the black rock Nevada desert (burning man) we would cry if it ever got run through a dishwasher or dropped into a cold sink while hot. We get a small amount of water boiling in it and wipe it out with a paper towel while the latest coat of roast beef stew is hot and wipeable.

I have my grandfather's skillet and his spatula that has long ago worn through at the tip to one of a pattern of holes to make a little hook to snatch bacon with. It is wonderful to use it with him in mind, standing in the kitchen smoking and drinking coffee while making his own breakfast silently in the early morning.

When we go camping, a big Lodge brand skillet sits on the rocks by the fire with todays coffee pot on it. It is good to go for pancakes pretty soon after putting it on the coals and waiting for butter to go to almost sizzling.

Don't cook fish on one unless that will be the fish pan from that day forward, because it will be like it or not, The fish pan makes fish whether you start with eggs or pancakes or maybe even bacon. I don't know for sure cause I have never tried to go back but I know people that are adamant about it and they are better cooks than me so, yeah. The fish skillet lives in it's own container between uses.

If I had to bet on it, I would bet that a sand blasting would clean the worst cast iron to what we call "in the white" in the welding and soldering world. anything stuck in the porosities would either cook off or get covered over by the new coats of carbon seasoning when the skillet was used. Never going to know that one for sure either.

 

[ladee]

@enough when it was time to take care of the build up on my cast iron, I would wait until we were having a bonfire in the backyard. We had a lot of those back in the day. I would wait until the fire was good and hot and had been that way for a while, then put my cast iron close to the hot embers in the middle of the fire. It cleans up cast iron so well. AND, ya get to enjoy a great fire while you are at it. I did laugh at your intro, just goes to show how versatile this forum is. Glad you took a risk and decided to see what it was about!!!

 

[Teasel]

Lovely to hear you both talking about it. Get the feeling cast iron pans are like old friends

 

[user27357]

If I had to bet on it, I would bet that a sand blasting would clean the worst cast iron to what we call "in the white" in the welding and soldering world. anything stuck in the porosities would either cook off or get covered over by the new coats of carbon seasoning when the skillet was used. Never going to know that one for sure either.

Well, I looked into it and yes it would work well if done right. But done wrong using any sand that has any amounts of lead in it from previous use could impregnate the porosities with nastiness. Danger!
The article I read talked about using what is called a wheel abrader (steel shot flung at the pots and pans from a spinning wheel instead of using air pressure through a noisy nozzle) to clean the casting and shot peen the majority of the porosities closed. It is possible that this has already been done to our pans before we got them, at the factories.
Take away- DO NOT SANDBLAST! DO NOT SANDBLAST! Do NOT SANDBLAST!

 

[Wendell_R]

And a hint for making cornbread, add two eggs instead of one.

I do that, too! Cornbread with a nice brown crust is one of my favorite comfort foods. I like to push in fresh blueberries after I've poured the batter.

In the iron skillet, another thing I do with potatoes is to first parboil sliced potatoes, then cook them in the skillet as you would hashbrowns, with sliced onions, garlic, salt, and lots of black pepper. (I add the garlic a little later, so I don't burn it.) Top it off with chopped flat-leaf parsley. Yum!

 

[ladee]

@Wendell_R Oh that does sound yummy!! And yes on the extra egg in the cornbread! Didn't think about putting blueberries in it because I usually made it to go with beans. But that would be a great hot breakfast meal, or later after it's cooled off with a huge glass of cold milk!! thanks for sharing about the blueberries!!!

 

[ladee]

They do become a huge part of cooking for those of us who have used them for many years. And they never wear out. They don't break, and the more you use them the more you just do it and not think about it. So ya, maybe it is like an old predictable friend. Knowing what to expect each time. Glad you started this thread T!! It's been fun.

 

[FauxLiz]

If you are looking for a good cornbread recipe my SIL uses her cast iron for everything and has posted this recipe on her Instagram. If you scroll back through her pictures you will see she uses cast iron for everything and takes a custom made cast iron skillet my brother surprised her with when they go camping. It is 35 inches in diameter and she cooks multiple items at once.

 

[Teasel]

Wow 35 inches, bet that feeds a few people :) I posted on my facebook about it and what to cook next, was suggested Welsh Cakes (Cross between a scone and a panxake) & Arepas (never had it) Also another fella saying he loves cast iron cookware.

Is my pan too big for corn bread at 12 inches?

 

[ladee]

I don't think so Teasel. When you pour the batter it should be about half full. Maybe someone else will answer. It's been too long. I can't remember if mine was 10 or 12 inches.

 

[FauxLiz]

@Teasel I think 12 in would be fine like @ladee said it batter should fill about 1/2 full but if it is less that just means the bread will be thinner so made check on it a few minutes early as it may bake quicker