Caring For Cast-Iron Skillets
ADVICE FOR THE FOODLORN
by Tom Steele
My mother scared me off using cast iron skillets because of their high maintenance. But I got one as a birthday present. It says it’s “pre-seasoned,” whatever that may mean. How do I keep it “seasoned”?
–Bill Crampton, Northampton, MA
Lodge began “pre-seasoning” their fine cast-iron line a few years ago, saving the considerable bother of seasoning bare cast-iron by smearing it all over with lard or bacon grease and baking it in a in a 250-degree oven, pouring out excess oil after 15 minutes, then baking the skillet for at least 2 hours more. This needs to be done several times in order to create a sealed bond that will provide non-stick cookery. The procedure must also be repeated if there is any sign of rust or if part or all of the cooking surface is no longer non-stick. I’ve never used the new Lodge skillets, but I’ve heard that they really hold their seasoning really well.
You should clean your skillet while it’s still hot by rinsing it with hot water and scraping with a wooden scraper. Don’t use any soap or a scouring pad because they will ruin the skillet’s seasoning. I occasionally use 1/2 cup or so of kosher salt to scrape up food, then rinse that out. Obviously, you should never put cast iron in a dishwasher. Dry the cleaned skillet well with a kitchen towel.
I’ve never found any skillet that gave meats a better sear than cast iron, because you can preheat the empty pans to create a hotter surface than any other skillet can provide. I use cast iron about half the time, and stainless steel the rest. I avoid using my cast iron to cook highly acidic foods, particularly tomato sauces or recipes requiring a lot of wine, because they can leech metallic flavor from the skillet. I rarely use any aluminum cookware, but so far anodized aluminum (Circulon, Calphalon, etc.) has been shown to be “safe” in that it doesn’t impart any aluminum into foods. So far.
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