Here's my method for cleaning a cast-iron pan. But there's no good reason to follow my advice. This is a nice way to burn yourself or start a fire. I once started a big grease fire in a cast-iron pan, went to smother it with the nearest lid handy, which turned out to be such a horrible choice that it burst into flames, too. That was bad. Fortunately no one was home at the time, but I did have some explaining to do later.
Anyway, some people claim you should never wash your pan. Others say to always wash it. I have a hybrid approach where I always wash the pan with soap & water but then always re-season it afterwards. I wash it using a regular scouring pad -- the kind that doesn't detune a nonstick pan. Don't worry, this will not unseason a properly seasoned pan. After washing, though, dry it and put it on a burner to get it nice and hot and dry. When hot, add a bit of oil, take a paper towel or two, and wipe the hot oil over every surface of the pan, inside and out, including the handle. If you and your house survive this step, leave it to cool completely. Once completely cool, take some clean paper towel and wipe the whole thing again, removing all the excess oil. It should now be clean yet seasoned, ready to store for next use.
We still use one large 15 inch frying pans from grandma's kitchen. To clean, I wash with good hot soapy water but scrub with a wad of aluminum foil. It scours off the food crud without removing the seasoning each time. About 3 times a year I re-season (depending on use volume) by cooking on a thick layer of soybean or peanut oil. A good recoting takes 30 mins on 400+ in the oven. If properly seasoned, you should not have to scour with more than a stiff spatula even after burning cobbler on a campfire.
ReplyDeleteBest food ever in the cast iron pan - hash browns, peppers & onions and sausage links.