Offical Cast Iron Cooking Thread
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I don't strip the preseasoning either, I just add to it. But like Colts ey said, just cook a bunch of bacon for a two-fer: you get bacon, and you get to season your CI pan at the same time 
Safety Car
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Forgot I posted this here.Depends on what you are cooking. If you try and cook an egg or maybe some hashbrown potatoes with only preseasoning then you will be in for a surprise. It won't turn out like a nonstick pan. If you want to cook something like bacon, chicken, steak, or really anything fatty then you should be fine.
However, my main cast iron pan that I cook bacon in 5-6 times a month now for about 2 years can cook eggs no problem. I also fully seasoned it with 3 coatings of oil baked in the oven at 500 degrees for an hour per coat as well before I started even using it. Don't use olive oil though
However, my main cast iron pan that I cook bacon in 5-6 times a month now for about 2 years can cook eggs no problem. I also fully seasoned it with 3 coatings of oil baked in the oven at 500 degrees for an hour per coat as well before I started even using it. Don't use olive oil though
I think I'll try seasoning with more saturated fat types and see if that helps 
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Forgot I posted this here.I was told to use canola oil and bake it for 350 for an hour or two. It turned out okay... Just, okay. I still got some stickage. I also cooked a couple burgers on it last night and smoked up my entire apartment
I think I'll try seasoning with more saturated fat types and see if that helps If you are getting tons of smoke, your heat is too high. You shouldn't be burning anything, you should just be searing things.
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Anyone have a cast iron dutch oven they recommend? Enamled or non? I don't want to spend hundreds of dollars (ok, I do, but am not going to) so no Staub, but looking for a decent quality one. Lodge?
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Lodge has a great non-enameled one for a good price (and even an enameled one)
You mentioned Staub but didn't mention Le Creuset so I'll throw up a vote for that one
I love my LC enameled dutch oven 
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350 is not nearly high enough for creating a coating. You need to be above the smoke point of the oil which, for canola, is somewhere north of 450.
If you are getting tons of smoke, your heat is too high. You shouldn't be burning anything, you should just be searing things.
If you are getting tons of smoke, your heat is too high. You shouldn't be burning anything, you should just be searing things.
I'm thinking of going the route others have said and just cook saturated fats on it, get the seasoning that way.
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https://www.macys.com/shop/product/m...hoCy6MQAvD_BwE
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We have a 3.5quart enameled one from Food Network we got as a gift. It looks really nice but I have to say I have never used it yet though. We got it as a gift and I haven't had anything I want to make in that limited amount it in yet. Looking it up the reviews seem to be good and the price seems good too.
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https://smile.amazon.com/Lodge-Quart...gateway&sr=8-1
This was on my list for the longest time until I got the LC one instead. 60 bucks
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Here you go, the CuisineArt
Or the Lodge
https://thewirecutter.com/reviews/best-dutch-oven/
I got the Le Creuset
my friend has the CuisineArt and loves it
Or the Lodge
https://thewirecutter.com/reviews/best-dutch-oven/
I got the Le Creuset
my friend has the CuisineArt and loves it
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Been doing steaks in the cast iron a lot lately. Posted them in the dinner thread though. Thinking of maybe trying some peach cobbler this week in my cast iron as I have some fresh SC peaches that I need to use.
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I've been using my CIP for literally everything, it gets used nearly every day lol. Last memorable thing I used it for was making some nashville hot fried chicken, used it as a fryer. Turned out SUPER awesome.
Thing I've been doing lately is smoking steaks for ~45mins at 180 before final sear to temp on the CIP on the gas grill. Smoke adds a lot of awesome flavor.
Thing I've been doing lately is smoking steaks for ~45mins at 180 before final sear to temp on the CIP on the gas grill. Smoke adds a lot of awesome flavor.
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So you been doing reverse sear method with caste iron to finish? I have two more 2.5in thick filets I froze from the whole filet we bought over the weekend. I will have to try that with those cause I do miss the smoke flavor from using the egg to cook steaks. Dang though hitting 180 temps is hard. Not really able to hit anything below 200. Wonder if I am better off build a smoke box and almost cold smoking the meat.
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So you been doing reverse sear method with caste iron to finish? I have two more 2.5in thick filets I froze from the whole filet we bought over the weekend. I will have to try that with those cause I do miss the smoke flavor from using the egg to cook steaks. Dang though hitting 180 temps is hard. Not really able to hit anything below 200. Wonder if I am better off build a smoke box and almost cold smoking the meat.
I smoke at 180 for about 30-45mins depending on desired taste and then transfer to CIP on my gas grill that I preheated to ripping hot with some butter to sear.
I have pellet grill so 180 is not really an issue, just turn the knob and done!
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I broke in the CI dutch oven with a few chicken breasts, shiitakes, asparagus, and some bacon. Need to get used to the heat rate and timing in the oven because I overcooked the chicken. But everything else was good. I guess there was a lot of liquid released from everything and trapped in under the heavy lid, so as an unintended benefit, some awesome broth for future soup! 
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My wife got me a Stargazer CIP and it is fucking amazing. It's a lot more expensive than your usual Lodge or whatever pans but they machine the inside surface smooth so nothing sticks from the start. Working on building up some good seasoning now but stoked to continue using this pan.
I'm curious to hear how the seasoning process goes. I've seen experiments where people machined the interior of their CIPs to multiple steps (even to a literally mirror smooth finish) and it got progressively more difficult to get any sort of seasoning to actually stick to it.
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My wife got me a Stargazer CIP and it is fucking amazing. It's a lot more expensive than your usual Lodge or whatever pans but they machine the inside surface smooth so nothing sticks from the start. Working on building up some good seasoning now but stoked to continue using this pan.
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