Gary, after decades of hating the cast iron pan, found a steak recipe that calls for cooking a thick steak in an oven then searing it in a cast iron pan. The pan has been brought up from the basement.
So now, he’s using it, and of course doesn’t know how to clean it (which, as we know, is to not clean it). He’s moved through the stages of cast iron ignorance: from scrubbing it with Brillo, to putting it in the dishwasher, to hand cleaning it with dishwasher soap. He’s not quite as far as my preferred method: scrubbing it with kosher salt.
So I had to spend a day reconditioning it. Shiny!
I got this pan at an antique store 30 years ago, and until I reconditioned it this last time I don’t think I had tried to date it. The classification of “antique” at this store seemed to be “thirty years old,” so I assumed it was from the 60s. The markings on the back suggest it’s from the 1920s or 30s.
I confess, Jessica and KC, this pan has been through only mild earthquakes, so it hasn’t been as abused as your cast iron plumbing.
3 responses to “Pan”
Poor cast iron pan. Good work on reconditioning it, though! 🙂
Cast iron pans would likely not be damaged by earthquakes unless they were functionally, structurally linking the house to the ground, and I’ve never heard of someone suggesting cast iron frying pans for that…
(both cast iron pans and cast iron plumbing can suffer from rust, though, poor things.)
I love a rare/medium-rare steak with a good dark sear on it. Cast iron is the only way, but as much as I follow directions for conditioning my cast iron pan, it is never non-stick. I have read that cast iron in a restaurant is cleaned well with soap (maybe a Brillo pad) due to Health Dept. regulations.
I don’t know if Gary had this problem, but I have found it necessary to turn on all fans and air cleaners before I start Otherwise, smoke alarms..
KC – Gary made a steak on it yesterday, so I had to give it another coat.
Arlene – absolutely smoke alarms. Also, mine was never non-stick until I built up about 10 coats for a half hour each at 400-500 degrees.