OT: Cast Iron Pans

[CranfordKnight]

Going through my father's things after he passed, we came upon an old rusted Maid of Honor Dutch oven. My sister cleaned and seasoned it and gave it to me. She says to use chain mail. She did a little research and apparently it was only made in '52-53 by Sears. Damned if I know what to cook in it, though.

 

[RU4Real]

Going through my father's things after he passed, we came upon an old rusted Maid of Honor Dutch oven. My sister cleaned and seasoned it and gave it to me. She says to use chain mail. She did a little research and apparently it was only made in '52-53 by Sears. Damned if I know what to cook in it, though.

Pot roast! Pot roast and potatoes and carrots in a cast iron dutch oven... That's comfort food.

 

[RUJohnny99]

Lodge cast irons are good, but if you truly want a treasure, look up Griswold trademarks and keep an eye out for them wherever old people are selling stuff. I've gotten several pre-WWII heirlooms for about 20 bucks each from yardsales & flea markets. I'm still on the prowl for a larger (12 inch+) from that timeframe, but haven't had any luck yet.

 

[czxqa]

I season mine with olive oil and never had a problem. Actually, I've gone back and forth with olive and vegetable oil.

I won't use olive oil because it has a low smoke point.

 

[RU4Real]

I won't use olive oil because it has a low smoke point.

It's a distinction without a difference. EVOO smokes at 375 degrees, light olive oil smokes at better than 450. By comparison, when cast iron skillets were the next new thing, they were seasoned (and cooked with) lard, which smokes at 360.

There are two things to remember. First, it's a seasoning. Anything you put in there is going to smoke at a 500 degree seasoning temp. Second, when you cook in a cast iron skillet you're either sauteing / frying, which happens below 375, or you're pan searing a steak, at which point see above re: temps above 500 degrees.

Corn oil, peanut oil and soybean oil (refined) as well as coconut oil (refined) all smoke at 450+. They make perfectly fine seasoning oils, but, like I said, it's mostly academic because they'll smoke at seasoning temps as well. If you want to season your cast iron with olive oil, nothing bad is going to happen.

 

[Leonard23]

It's a distinction without a difference. EVOO smokes at 375 degrees, light olive oil smokes at better than 450. By comparison, when cast iron skillets were the next new thing, they were seasoned (and cooked with) lard, which smokes at 360.

There are two things to remember. First, it's a seasoning. Anything you put in there is going to smoke at a 500 degree seasoning temp. Second, when you cook in a cast iron skillet you're either sauteing / frying, which happens below 375, or you're pan searing a steak, at which point see above re: temps above 500 degrees.

Corn oil, peanut oil and soybean oil (refined) as well as coconut oil (refined) all smoke at 450+. They make perfectly fine seasoning oils, but, like I said, it's mostly academic because they'll smoke at seasoning temps as well. If you want to season your cast iron with olive oil, nothing bad is going to happen.

Go for avocado oil...570° F

 

[late knight]

Lodge cast irons are good, but if you truly want a treasure, look up Griswold trademarks and keep an eye out for them wherever old people are selling stuff. I've gotten several pre-WWII heirlooms for about 20 bucks each from yardsales & flea markets. I'm still on the prowl for a larger (12 inch+) from that timeframe, but haven't had any luck yet.

Spend some time on the link I posted earlier. You'll enjoy it.

 

[RUsince52]

If only you could have tied that back to tailgating...

This isn't tailgating, but it ties into RU- basketball that is.
In 1961, RU had a freshman basketball player named Iron Hron and he was from NB. The coach that year was Doug Patton, a former star guard for us.

 

[czxqa]

It's a distinction without a difference. EVOO smokes at 375 degrees, light olive oil smokes at better than 450. By comparison, when cast iron skillets were the next new thing, they were seasoned (and cooked with) lard, which smokes at 360.

There are two things to remember. First, it's a seasoning. Anything you put in there is going to smoke at a 500 degree seasoning temp. Second, when you cook in a cast iron skillet you're either sauteing / frying, which happens below 375, or you're pan searing a steak, at which point see above re: temps above 500 degrees.

Corn oil, peanut oil and soybean oil (refined) as well as coconut oil (refined) all smoke at 450+. They make perfectly fine seasoning oils, but, like I said, it's mostly academic because they'll smoke at seasoning temps as well. If you want to season your cast iron with olive oil, nothing bad is going to happen.

I've always seasoned the pan at 400 or so, and if I use olive oil (all i ever have is extra virgin) the kitchen gets smoky after a while. If I use another cooking oil it doesn't, so I use the other. If I'm searing a steak, that takes just long enough to heat the pan and a few minutes on each side, then into the oven it goes. You get some smoke, but not like an hour at 400, you know?

 

[RUSK97]

Crisco! Good old heart-hardening vegetable shortening laden with partially hydrogenated fatty acids. Smear it really well on your warm cast iron pan, then wipe off the excess. Bake it for an hour upside down in the oven over a cookie sheet. I did 375 in the dial. A couple seasonings like that and you're golden.

 

[RUsince52]

Going through my father's things after he passed, we came upon an old rusted Maid of Honor Dutch oven. My sister cleaned and seasoned it and gave it to me. She says to use chain mail. She did a little research and apparently it was only made in '52-53 by Sears. Damned if I know what to cook in it, though.

Brisket and fixings.

 

[RUsince52]

My grandmother always used her pans to cook almost anything. She made crepes which we rolled with cheese or jelly to resemble a blintz.
Unfortunately, don't have any of the pans now.

 

[Bagarocks]

I love off topics but not on the round table please.

This ain't the round table!

 

[RU_DIO]

This ain't the round table!

I know. It was originally on the round table.