Cast Iron

Using an oven to season never really worked for me; it used too much electricity and the waste heat made my living space super uncomfortable.

So, I decided to try using butane cans meant for hotpots. They can be bought at most Asian focused grocery stores and I bought the torch adapter from amazon; I don't think it really matters which one you get, seems most of them are from the same manufacturer. Probably also have them at some restaurant focused stores.

My process was the same as if you were using an oven; a thin layer of canola oil (or whatever you use) and then blast it with the butane torch. I found I needed to get real close until the oil "dries" (in the right light you see crystal like shapes, I think that's what it looks like when it polymerizes). After it's 'dried' I apply another layer and repeat. I did this about 10 times I think. Same as always, don't apply too much or you'll get sticky areas that will take more time to polymerize.

It's quite laborious, but it had great results though I think I'll have to do another 10-20 layers to get a really good seasoning. As it is now, eggs still stick a little in some places but it's still a far cry from what it was before.

I also want to get some canola oil spray since that would make reapplying a cinch, but I can't seem to find it any more. Do you have it in your area? I hope it wasn't discontinued. :(

I hope this helps, happy cooking!

You are already getting the pan hot enough to sear, just leave it there a little while longer and it's cooked!

This is my first time making and eating this meal. It has a mild but pleasant flavor.

I found it in a cupboard at my family farm. It's unlabeled, gate marked, has a funky raised "8", and an interesting design on the handle. The finish job on the inside looks great, very smooth.

Filet mignon in cast iron and ribeye in carbon steel. Dry brined for one day, cooked in avocado oil, basted in ghee and garlic, and finished with a little cracked pepper.

Picked it up for a song recently. I suspect it to be a BSR but it's kind of weird. Also, why is it so clean and skinny? It looks like aluminum but it's labeled as CI.

This pan was difficult to get completely stripped, but I prevailed in the end. I used Easy-Off, and it took multiple tries to get the stubborn stuff off. This is while applying the first coat of shortening to the bare iron. I tested both pans for lead, even though I've been using them both for a number of years. Thankfully, they tested negative.

The pan on the left has 4 coats of seasoning. The pan on the right has one. I wanted to season them together, but the pan on the right took a long time to strip so it fell behind.

Both pans are in the oven as I write this, getting their 6th and 3rd coats, respectively. I don't have a goal in mind, but I'll stop when the bigger pan looks good.

I have a Griswold #8 that had some areas where the seasoning was failing. I don't remember what I seasoned it with, but it was about 5 years ago so it didn't last long. I blame my wife.

Anyway, I decided to strip and re-season. I used the Easy-Off method -- spray it down and let it sit in a garbage bag. This worked well except for some stubborn spots. I re-sprayed multiple times but the oven cleaner didn't seem to work.

I was going to keep chipping away at it with oven cleaner, but my can ran out so I went to the hardware store. Looking at the ingredients in oven cleaner, I realized that maybe drain cleaner would also work.

I got a big bottle of drain cleaner and headed home. I made sure to get basic (Sodium hydroxide) drain cleaner instead of acid, and got "gel" style so it would stick to the sides of the pan better.

It didn't work. I don't recommend trying it because it's a waste of time. Oven cleaner must have a bunch of other stuff in it, not just lye.

So, I'm going to head back to the store and get more oven cleaner. It's so close to being fully stripped, I'm sure I can finish it off with oven cleaner.

In the past I've used electrolysis, self-cleaning oven method, and oven cleaner. Oven cleaner is my preferred method, even after struggling with a few spots this time.

I was going to try and finish this pan off with the self-cleaning oven method, but the latch on my oven door is broken, so it won't perform the cycle.

Anyway, thanks for reading! I don't have any pictures, but I will take some once I start the seasoning process.

Finally got a cast iron takoyaki pan, it works so well!

I just acquired a Vollrath #8 deep dryer with lid, in fantastic condition, just needing to be stripped and reseasoned. I see these going anywhere from $140 to $290 online.

I got it for $40!!!

Made some pan pizza, the other day. Followed this recipe, with some added Napoli Salame on top.

Note: The white sauce is some home made ranch dressing. As the crust is covered in caramelized cheese/frico, I enjoy dipping it into a special sauce.

Edit: Used the leftover tomato juice for a bloody mary, which is in the glass next to the pizza.

Here are some more photos:

I always try to mix in a little bit of oregano, thyme and basil. Remember to add a tiny bit of extra water when using dry ingredients.

I made an apple pie in a cast iron pan. It's actually easier to make than it seems. Everything is from scratch.

I was originally going to make Chile Rellenos but I ran out of time. I made Rajas and added them to the Picadillo that was going to be the pepper stuffing. I didn't take a photo of that because I was too hungry. It came out great.

Edit: You char all sides of the pepper. Then you let it steam in a bag for 10-15 minutes. This allows you to remove the char and you are left with a pleasantly smokey and flavorful pepper.

Lately I've been cooking everything in my cast iron pans. Once you get the hang of them they're fantastic.

For this pan I sanded the original sandpaper like texture with an orbital sander then applied many coats of seasoning. Sadly, I may have made it too smooth. The seasoning doesn't stay on as well as another smaller pan that I own. Which means I'll sand it again with 40 grit in order to help the seasoning stick. Fingers crossed.

I don't use crisco regularly for cooking, so I have the box of it in my fridge. It's messy to be opening the cardboard box and paper wrapping each time I add seasoning. Does anybody have a clever way to store it?

Just for your entertainment. This was a partial whole wheat/ white with herbs. Cold fermented inside the pan with lid on (brush lid with some oil so it doesn't stick). I made half pesto, half spicy and it's very far from traditional focaccia, except the dough, really.

Smaller one is a Griswold No. 8, marked 704H.

Larger one is a Wagner Ware 11 ^3^/~4~ Inch Skillet, with a "10" on the handle.

I managed to get them for $50 total. I can't find exact matches online, but I think this is a good deal for these two. Is it?