• This is a political forum that is non-biased/non-partisan and treats every person's position on topics equally. This debate forum is not aligned to any political party. In today's politics, many ideas are split between and even within all the political parties. Often we find ourselves agreeing on one platform but some topics break our mold. We are here to discuss them in a civil political debate. If this is your first visit to our political forums, be sure to check out the RULES. Registering for debate politics is necessary before posting. Register today to participate - it's free!

Southerners, help me! My cast iron hates me.

SmokeAndMirrors

DP Veteran
Joined
May 20, 2011
Messages
18,282
Reaction score
16,154
Gender
Female
Political Leaning
Other
Hey guys. So I'm having some problems...

Decided to get a cast iron skillet some months ago. Well, another one. My dad got me one back in the day, but I was an underappreciative kiddo who didn't make use of the knowledge at my disposal, didn't really use it, and eventually it got lost in one of my many moves over the last couple years. Now he's gone and I don't know anyone who knows how to use one of these things!

Long story short, I can't get it to just... not stick to absolutely everything. It supposedly came pre-seasoned. I seasoned it again anyway with oil in the oven, because I read that there's really no such thing as too much seasoning. Ok, should be good.

Nope. I swear to god, every time I cook in it, I wind up having to pull out the steel wool to get it clean. Yes, I know how bad that is, and that I probably took off some of the seasoning. But seriously, it sticks that much.

I use lots of butter/oil, always. I'm not shy about that. Seems to be of very limited help.

What am I doing wrong, guys?
 
Hey guys. So I'm having some problems...

Decided to get a cast iron skillet some months ago. Well, another one. My dad got me one back in the day, but I was an underappreciative kiddo who didn't make use of the knowledge at my disposal, didn't really use it, and eventually it got lost in one of my many moves over the last couple years. Now he's gone and I don't know anyone who knows how to use one of these things!

Long story short, I can't get it to just... not stick to absolutely everything. It supposedly came pre-seasoned. I seasoned it again anyway with oil in the oven, because I read that there's really no such thing as too much seasoning. Ok, should be good.

Nope. I swear to god, every time I cook in it, I wind up having to pull out the steel wool to get it clean. Yes, I know how bad that is, and that I probably took off some of the seasoning. But seriously, it sticks that much.

I use lots of butter/oil, always. I'm not shy about that. Seems to be of very limited help.

What am I doing wrong, guys?



Pan not hot enough. not waiting long enough for food to release.
 
Hey guys. So I'm having some problems...

Decided to get a cast iron skillet some months ago. Well, another one. My dad got me one back in the day, but I was an underappreciative kiddo who didn't make use of the knowledge at my disposal, didn't really use it, and eventually it got lost in one of my many moves over the last couple years. Now he's gone and I don't know anyone who knows how to use one of these things!

Long story short, I can't get it to just... not stick to absolutely everything. It supposedly came pre-seasoned. I seasoned it again anyway with oil in the oven, because I read that there's really no such thing as too much seasoning. Ok, should be good.

Nope. I swear to god, every time I cook in it, I wind up having to pull out the steel wool to get it clean. Yes, I know how bad that is, and that I probably took off some of the seasoning. But seriously, it sticks that much.

I use lots of butter/oil, always. I'm not shy about that. Seems to be of very limited help.

What am I doing wrong, guys?

Don't use soap when you wash it, do you? That's a no-no. I just use a quick pass with copper wool. And reseason every few thousand miles.
 
Pan not hot enough. not waiting long enough for food to release.

Thanks, I'll try to be more patient.

Don't use soap when you wash it, do you? That's a no-no. I just use a quick pass with copper wool. And reseason every few thousand miles.

Nope. I used some clean, warm oil to help soften things up when I was scrubbing it.
 
Thanks, I'll try to be more patient.



Nope. I used some clean, warm oil to help soften things up when I was scrubbing it.





Also, I have had good results cooking with that conola oil/butter mix that they have now, it's been leaving a great seasoning coating on mine.
 
Truly good seasoning can take a long time.


A few tips for preserving/building seasoning:

- When you're done cooking whatever, remove the food/eat your meal, but let the pan cool on the stovetop. Do NOT immediately fill it with water to cool it down.

- Once it's cooled and everything is out, fill it with water. No soap, just water. Soaking in dish soap can ruin the seasoning somewhat. Let it sit for hours at least if there is stuff stuck to it.

- Then, wash it with soap. Dry it. Spread a thin layer of oil (canola given price/heat tolerance) around the bottom and sides. Set on a low flame/heat so that it doesn't smoke or anything like that for 15-20 min. Again, let cool, wipe any excess oil off with a napkin or something but don't try to remove the oil entirely.

Do that every time. You're basically doing a slight re-seasoning every time you cook with it.

I rescued some cast iron pans from the grandparents' belongings after they had passed. They were already pretty well seasoned, but now the one I use most often is gloriously seasoned. Fully coated, always glistening, etc.
 
Hey guys. So I'm having some problems...

Decided to get a cast iron skillet some months ago. Well, another one. My dad got me one back in the day, but I was an underappreciative kiddo who didn't make use of the knowledge at my disposal, didn't really use it, and eventually it got lost in one of my many moves over the last couple years. Now he's gone and I don't know anyone who knows how to use one of these things!

Long story short, I can't get it to just... not stick to absolutely everything. It supposedly came pre-seasoned. I seasoned it again anyway with oil in the oven, because I read that there's really no such thing as too much seasoning. Ok, should be good.

Nope. I swear to god, every time I cook in it, I wind up having to pull out the steel wool to get it clean. Yes, I know how bad that is, and that I probably took off some of the seasoning. But seriously, it sticks that much.

I use lots of butter/oil, always. I'm not shy about that. Seems to be of very limited help.

What am I doing wrong, guys?

Hard to tell without knowing how you "seasoned" it. There are instructions everywhere and about a dozen different methods that probably all work, but the key is multiple, very thin layers of fat of some kind in a very hot oven/grill.

I have a little 8" skillet I use mostly for cornbread and it started flaking/chipping on me real bad after about 20 years, so I stripped it with oven cleaner (the lye type) then used flax oil to season it back. You have to use pure flax oil - it will be refrigerated. The stuff on the grocery shelf has additives that prevent spoiling but also prevent it from working as a seasoner. Barlean's brand comes in 8oz sizes. I got mine at a health food store, but Amazon carries it.

There are instructions in various places, but here's the one in Cook's Illustrated:

How to Season Cast Iron with This Method
Although lengthy, seasoning with flaxseed oil is a mainly hands-off undertaking. We highly recommend the treatment:

Warm an unseasoned pan (either new or stripped of seasoning) for 15 minutes in a 200-degree oven to open its pores. The best way to strip a cast-iron pan of seasoning is to run the pan through your oven's self-cleaning cycle.

Remove the pan from the oven. Place 1 tablespoon flaxseed oil in the pan and, using tongs, rub the oil into the surface with paper towels. With fresh paper towels, thoroughly wipe out the pan to remove excess oil.

Place the oiled pan upside down in a cold oven, then set the oven to its maximum baking temperature. Once the oven reaches its maximum temperature, heat the pan for one hour. Turn off the oven; cool the pan in the oven for at least two hours.

Repeat the process five more times, or until the pan develops a dark, semi-matte surface.

I'm sure Crisco with the same method would also work fine. The key is very thin layers. If you are worried about it dripping, it's too thick. I use the grill so it doesn't smoke up the kitchen. Just take a paper towel and remove all the oil that will come off easily. Too thick and it doesn't form that hard sheen, and it has to completely burn off. Not enough heat for not enough time, or too thick a coating of oil, and you just get a sticky mess.

Anyway, next time I baked corn bread, it released perfectly. I've also used it for sausage, bacon, potatoes - all fine, little water, soft bristle brush. I bought a cast iron "chain mail" thing a while back that I use sometimes. It takes off the hard stuff without removing seasoning, but to be honest it's almost never necessary with a properly seasoned pan. A little water and soft bristle brush I use for regular dishes is all I need about 99% of the time, and I use cast iron and black steel pans most of the time, not quite daily.

As the Reverend said, it takes a little practice to use cast iron/black steel. If you're searing/cooking meat, it does work a lot better to let the pan get hot, add the oil, then the meat (or potatoes or whatever), and don't touch it for a while. The food will "release" on its own generally after a crust forms, which is why I like to use cast iron/black steel. The trick is cast iron retains heat so if you're cooking for a while, you'll have to lower the heat as you go or it will get the pan smoking hot, and it's sometimes that partially burned oil that causes a sticky mess requiring steel wool. If not, I try to rinse the pan while still hot in water - you'll get a bunch of steam - then a couple swipes with a soft brush and you're done. If you wait till it cools, just a minute or two soaking in water should be enough, then a soft brush.

Also, don't cook acidic foods like tomatoes in cast iron. The acid in tomatoes will strip the seasoning off. Use stainless or non-stick or whatever for that kind of thing.
 
Truly good seasoning can take a long time.


A few tips for preserving/building seasoning:

- When you're done cooking whatever, remove the food/eat your meal, but let the pan cool on the stovetop. Do NOT immediately fill it with water to cool it down.

- Once it's cooled and everything is out, fill it with water. No soap, just water. Soaking in dish soap can ruin the seasoning somewhat. Let it sit for hours at least if there is stuff stuck to it.

- Then, wash it with soap. Dry it. Spread a thin layer of oil (canola given price/heat tolerance) around the bottom and sides. Set on a low flame/heat so that it doesn't smoke or anything like that for 15-20 min. Again, let cool, wipe any excess oil off with a napkin or something but don't try to remove the oil entirely.

Do that every time. You're basically doing a slight re-seasoning every time you cook with it.

I rescued some cast iron pans from the grandparents' belongings after they had passed. They were already pretty well seasoned, but now the one I use most often is gloriously seasoned. Fully coated, always glistening, etc.

That's funny how we all use different methods that seem to work. I often clean a cast iron/steel pan when it's hot, just to get it out of the way - steam explodes up, etc. and it doesn't seem to hurt the seasoning. I also don't use soap, but to be honest soap shouldn't affect a properly seasoned pan - it cannot remove the hard shell that is the 'seasoning.' It's just I don't find it necessary and was "trained" for years that soap on cast iron was a borderline southern mortal sin - it just was not done!! :shock:

And I use Extra Light Olive Oil to coat after washing with water - also a high smoke point and what I use most often for cooking over high heat.

I bought the black steel pans about two years ago and read a bunch of stuff on seasoning etc. and it's entertaining reading. Everyone has their way, and it's THE way, and any other way is WRONG! Bottom line what it shows is cast iron is pretty forgiving, and a bunch of ways work. Basically, if you USE the pan regularly, the seasoning takes care of itself in a month or so.
 
Last edited:
Cast Iron folk mostly have rather religious tenants to using/seasoning their cast iron, and like Christianity there are many different sects. I predominately use cast iron, I love it. Looking at getting a cast iron dutch oven.

Anyway, for my two cents, I never use soap when cleaning my cast iron. I have a plastic scrapers (https://www.amazon.com/Lodge-SCRAPE...538&sr=8-4&keywords=cast+iron+skillet+scraper) that I use. When I'm done cooking, I let the pan come down to room temperature (usually just by waiting to clean up until after the family has finished eating). I run it under hot water and scrape it down nicely. Afterwards, I dry it completely and then rub it down with a little oil. I have heard that for stubborn, clingy food that using coarse Kosher salt in really good at cleaning it without damaging any of the seasoning.

For food sticking, I don't really have a huge issue with that either. For the most part though, I think that the pan has to be properly heated first, and depending on the stove you have that can take some time. Also, food needs to be left to cook long enough to release from the pan before flipping. I cook pretty much everything it it, even roasted a chicken in mine last night, and the non-stick quality has always been good. I do suppose that I use a different pan for frying eggs, so I haven't tried with something that soft, but everything else, a little oil and proper heating have been all that I needed to make sure nothing sticks.
 
That's funny how we all use different methods that seem to work. I often clean a cast iron/steel pan when it's hot, just to get it out of the way - steam explodes up, etc. and it doesn't seem to hurt the seasoning. I also don't use soap, but to be honest soap shouldn't affect a properly seasoned pan - it cannot remove the hard shell that is the 'seasoning.' It's just I don't find it necessary and was "trained" for years that soap on cast iron was a borderline southern mortal sin - it just was not done!! :shock:

And I use Extra Light Olive Oil to coat after washing with water - also a high smoke point and what I use most often for cooking over high heat.

I bought the black steel pans about two years ago and read a bunch of stuff on seasoning etc. and it's entertaining reading. Everyone has their way, and it's THE way, and any other way is WRONG! Bottom line what it shows is cast iron is pretty forgiving, and a bunch of ways work. Basically, if you USE the pan regularly, the seasoning takes care of itself in a month or so.

The thinking on the heat is two-fold:

If iron is hot enough, a sudden inundation of cold water might potentially crack it.

Relatedly, sudden heat changes in made can cause sudden size changes (think radiators or pipes in a house panging), and if it's not a uniform size change maybe the seasoning might crack even if in ways you might not notice visually.




But yeah, might as well do whatever works.
 
Cast Iron folk mostly have rather religious tenants to using/seasoning their cast iron, and like Christianity there are many different sects. I predominately use cast iron, I love it. Looking at getting a cast iron dutch oven.

I've got one but it's coated with ceramic and it's pretty great. The only problem with an uncoated dutch oven for my use is I cook a lot of tomato based stuff like soup or chili, and that strips the seasoning right off if you simmer stuff like chili for a couple hours. I've also had issues with using wine - that will react to the cast iron. Acids like lemon, etc. too. So I'd be forced to have a raw dutch oven then one that is coated for soups, etc., and I just don't have room to store it.

Anyway, for my two cents, I never use soap when cleaning my cast iron. I have a plastic scrapers (https://www.amazon.com/Lodge-SCRAPE...538&sr=8-4&keywords=cast+iron+skillet+scraper) that I use. When I'm done cooking, I let the pan come down to room temperature (usually just by waiting to clean up until after the family has finished eating). I run it under hot water and scrape it down nicely. Afterwards, I dry it completely and then rub it down with a little oil. I have heard that for stubborn, clingy food that using coarse Kosher salt in really good at cleaning it without damaging any of the seasoning.

For food sticking, I don't really have a huge issue with that either. For the most part though, I think that the pan has to be properly heated first, and depending on the stove you have that can take some time. Also, food needs to be left to cook long enough to release from the pan before flipping. I cook pretty much everything it it, even roasted a chicken in mine last night, and the non-stick quality has always been good. I do suppose that I use a different pan for frying eggs, so I haven't tried with something that soft, but everything else, a little oil and proper heating have been all that I needed to make sure nothing sticks.

I use an 8 inch black steel pan for eggs. Works great with just a little spray of coconut oil from TJs. Fried eggs just slide around on it... ;)
 
The thinking on the heat is two-fold:

If iron is hot enough, a sudden inundation of cold water might potentially crack it.

Relatedly, sudden heat changes in made can cause sudden size changes (think radiators or pipes in a house panging), and if it's not a uniform size change maybe the seasoning might crack even if in ways you might not notice visually.

But yeah, might as well do whatever works.

It's usually with steel pans, versus cast iron, but I kind of quit worrying after a while because the recipe for lots of sauces want you "deglaze" a pan when hot. Anyway, I thought I'd try it, a form of deglazing as washing, and it hasn't warped any so far, and I think the steam does help remove the cooked food. And sometimes if I'm cooking meat (like a steak) on the stove, the pan at the end starts smoking like crazy, and instead of running it outside, I'll just run water over it.

But, yes, I agree, whatever works. Sometimes we make stuff hard that's actually easy, and I've found both cast iron and steel easy to cook with and maintain. If I accidentally strip the seasoning on a steel pan with tomato sauce or wine or lemon juice, next time I cook on the grill, or maybe put potatoes to bake in the oven, I'll 'season' the pans.
 
Hey guys. So I'm having some problems...

Decided to get a cast iron skillet some months ago. Well, another one. My dad got me one back in the day, but I was an underappreciative kiddo who didn't make use of the knowledge at my disposal, didn't really use it, and eventually it got lost in one of my many moves over the last couple years. Now he's gone and I don't know anyone who knows how to use one of these things!

Long story short, I can't get it to just... not stick to absolutely everything. It supposedly came pre-seasoned. I seasoned it again anyway with oil in the oven, because I read that there's really no such thing as too much seasoning. Ok, should be good.

Nope. I swear to god, every time I cook in it, I wind up having to pull out the steel wool to get it clean. Yes, I know how bad that is, and that I probably took off some of the seasoning. But seriously, it sticks that much.

I use lots of butter/oil, always. I'm not shy about that. Seems to be of very limited help.

What am I doing wrong, guys?

I am not a southerner, but I know cast iron.

First of all, make sure you pre heat it pretty good. I don't particularly like the modern cast iron.. they leave it a little rough on the inside.

How did you try to season it? What I do it take a high temperature oil, put in a very light coating, and then put it in the oven for an hour at 400 (up side down). Also, cooking bacon in it helps reinforce the seasoning. But, the main thing is make sure that the cast iron is hot before using it.
 
Don't use soap when you wash it, do you? That's a no-no. I just use a quick pass with copper wool. And reseason every few thousand miles.

If it's properly seasoned, that won't make a different.. The blackened carbon is a pretty sturdy barrier.
 
Cast Iron folk mostly have rather religious tenants to using/seasoning their cast iron, and like Christianity there are many different sects. I predominately use cast iron, I love it. Looking at getting a cast iron dutch oven.

Anyway, for my two cents, I never use soap when cleaning my cast iron. I have a plastic scrapers (https://www.amazon.com/Lodge-SCRAPE...538&sr=8-4&keywords=cast+iron+skillet+scraper) that I use. When I'm done cooking, I let the pan come down to room temperature (usually just by waiting to clean up until after the family has finished eating). I run it under hot water and scrape it down nicely. Afterwards, I dry it completely and then rub it down with a little oil. I have heard that for stubborn, clingy food that using coarse Kosher salt in really good at cleaning it without damaging any of the seasoning.

For food sticking, I don't really have a huge issue with that either. For the most part though, I think that the pan has to be properly heated first, and depending on the stove you have that can take some time. Also, food needs to be left to cook long enough to release from the pan before flipping. I cook pretty much everything it it, even roasted a chicken in mine last night, and the non-stick quality has always been good. I do suppose that I use a different pan for frying eggs, so I haven't tried with something that soft, but everything else, a little oil and proper heating have been all that I needed to make sure nothing sticks.

Cast iron dutch ovens are great. You can also use a cast iron dutch oven and put it in the oven at low heat in replacement for a slow cooker.
 
I've used cast iron for years. The antique stuff is the best. If it says Griswald or Erie on the bottom, you know it's old. I got some of mine from my grandparents.
Cast iron has become quite popular lately, so it's harder to find the old stuff at thrift and antique stores and it's a bit spendy.
 
I've used cast iron for years. The antique stuff is the best. If it says Griswald or Erie on the bottom, you know it's old. I got some of mine from my grandparents.
Cast iron has become quite popular lately, so it's harder to find the old stuff at thrift and antique stores and it's a bit spendy.

I thought about ordering pieces off Ebay, but too many articles warned about counterfeits and I can't spot the real from fake with pictures....

Locally it's kind of unfortunate, but Lodge has been based in Tennessee forever and so dominated the market. I've never seen anyone (old timers included) that used anything but Lodge cast iron. The old Lodge stuff is a little better, it was polished inside, but it's not Griswold or Erie, which I've just never seen in real life. As I understand, those old pieces are also thinner and easier to handle. Still looking...
 
Wow, thank you guys for all the info!

The cast iron has been sitting, looking lonely, for the past few weeks, because I just don't feel I know how to use it. I'll reseason it, take another crack, and report back...
 
I've used cast iron for years. The antique stuff is the best. If it says Griswald or Erie on the bottom, you know it's old. I got some of mine from my grandparents.
Cast iron has become quite popular lately, so it's harder to find the old stuff at thrift and antique stores and it's a bit spendy.

Griswold and Erie on the bottom can make it very expensive, since it's collectable. I find for using Wagner ,Lodge, Vollrath and a lot of the unmarked stuff just at good. I did get a wapak at an auction for 5 bucks, and found out if I wanted to sell it, I could get 200 to 250 for it. It's a grand user though, and as smooth as glass on the inside. It's not a spinner either (Old cast iron tends to get warped over time). With the ones that have the logo's on it, you can track down the time frame in which it was made. For example, the Wapak cast iron company went out of business in 1926, and used the logo from 1914 to 1926, so I know that the pan I could sell for 200 was made during that time frame. People try to make complete collections out of specific logos... which is why it tends to get pricey.

The pan I like to use to make my eggs in is an old Wagner chef's skillet from the 1950's. Now that sucker is as smooth as glass.
 
I am not a southerner, but I know cast iron.

First of all, make sure you pre heat it pretty good. I don't particularly like the modern cast iron.. they leave it a little rough on the inside.

How did you try to season it? What I do it take a high temperature oil, put in a very light coating, and then put it in the oven for an hour at 400 (up side down). Also, cooking bacon in it helps reinforce the seasoning. But, the main thing is make sure that the cast iron is hot before using it.

The kind of sad thing is Lodge at least decided to leave it rough because modern buyers don't want to season it, and you can't easily pre-season a smooth pan. Now they take rough pans from the molds, and they're run through a spray of oil which attaches to the rough surface, then baked at a high temp to "season."

This "innovation" apparently saved Lodge as a company, because it brought in a bunch of buyers who otherwise wouldn't have bothered, but devoted cast iron fans aren't happy about it. Lodge claims the rough finish has no effect on food sticking, that if there's an effect it reduces sticking because less surface area touches the food. My rough 1980s era pans do work fine, so maybe they're right.... I also bought a Waggoner, as I recall, that was polished - 12 inch fryer. And it warped.... Tossed it and learned later probably could have been saved. Oh well.
 
Wow, thank you guys for all the info!

The cast iron has been sitting, looking lonely, for the past few weeks, because I just don't feel I know how to use it. I'll reseason it, take another crack, and report back...

Yeah, uh, just don't never do nuthin I wouldn't, and you'll be fine. Just let the dog lick it out after yer done cooking and it's cooled. That's it.
 
The kind of sad thing is Lodge at least decided to leave it rough because modern buyers don't want to season it, and you can't easily pre-season a smooth pan. Now they take rough pans from the molds, and they're run through a spray of oil which attaches to the rough surface, then baked at a high temp to "season."

This "innovation" apparently saved Lodge as a company, because it brought in a bunch of buyers who otherwise wouldn't have bothered, but devoted cast iron fans aren't happy about it. Lodge claims the rough finish has no effect on food sticking, that if there's an effect it reduces sticking because less surface area touches the food. My rough 1980s era pans do work fine, so maybe they're right.... I also bought a Waggoner, as I recall, that was polished - 12 inch fryer. And it warped.... Tossed it and learned later probably could have been saved. Oh well.

There are places that will see pans that are milled on the inside. .. but you have to season it yourself. It's pretty easy to get vintage cast iron in really good condition for reasonable prices though. However, with the collector craze, a lot of people are over pricing it.
 
Hey guys. So I'm having some problems...

Decided to get a cast iron skillet some months ago. Well, another one. My dad got me one back in the day, but I was an underappreciative kiddo who didn't make use of the knowledge at my disposal, didn't really use it, and eventually it got lost in one of my many moves over the last couple years. Now he's gone and I don't know anyone who knows how to use one of these things!

Long story short, I can't get it to just... not stick to absolutely everything. It supposedly came pre-seasoned. I seasoned it again anyway with oil in the oven, because I read that there's really no such thing as too much seasoning. Ok, should be good.

Nope. I swear to god, every time I cook in it, I wind up having to pull out the steel wool to get it clean. Yes, I know how bad that is, and that I probably took off some of the seasoning. But seriously, it sticks that much.

I use lots of butter/oil, always. I'm not shy about that. Seems to be of very limited help.

What am I doing wrong, guys?

you have already received a bunch of helpful pointers. (i've been taking notes)
appears you have a new pan. and it will take a while - considerable use - before it is fully seasoned
i have read that the pans made today use a more coarse sand than was used when sand casting cast iron cook ware back in the day
so, you have a more coarse surface to get seasoned than your grandmother had to worry about
could be a wives tale, but like avoiding the use of soap to clean it, or cooking with tomatoes or other acidic foods, i was led to believe olive oil is not preferred to establish a seasoned surface. consider this a wonderful upportunity to cook up a few batches of bacon
like my family of southern cooks, i keep the cast iron pans in the bottom of the oven, even when i am cooking food in other devices. in addition to hardening the seasoned surfaces, it also serves to help even out the temperature in the oven while something is being cooked
i get the most enjoyment cooking this recipe in cast iron:
Ingredients

1 cup yellow cornmeal
1 cup flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup buttermilk
2 eggs
1 cup creamed corn
2 tablespoons bacon grease

Directions
Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Place a 10-inch cast iron skillet into the oven such that it becomes oven temperature.

In a bowl, combine the cornmeal, salt, sugar, baking powder, and baking soda. Whisk together to combine well.

In a large bowl, combine the buttermilk, eggs, and creamed corn, whisking together to combine thoroughly. Add the dry ingredients to the buttermilk mixture and stir to combine.

Swirl the bacon grease in the hot cast iron skillet to coat the area where the cornbread will bake. Pour the batter into the skillet. Bake until the cornbread is golden brown and springs back upon the touch, about 20 minutes. Pro tip: just a few minutes before the pone is ready to get out of the oven, drizzle a little bit of bacon grease on top
 
I've used cast iron for years. The antique stuff is the best. If it says Griswald or Erie on the bottom, you know it's old. I got some of mine from my grandparents.
Cast iron has become quite popular lately, so it's harder to find the old stuff at thrift and antique stores and it's a bit spendy.


When my mother-in-law passed away, my wife found an old Griswold in her kitchen. It was crusted with 1/4-inch baked-on black grease. We put it in our oven when it was self-cleaning. Skillet came out looking like new - gray cast iron. We re-seasoned it and it worked great!
 
you have already received a bunch of helpful pointers. (i've been taking notes)
appears you have a new pan. and it will take a while - considerable use - before it is fully seasoned
i have read that the pans made today use a more coarse sand than was used when sand casting cast iron cook ware back in the day
so, you have a more coarse surface to get seasoned than your grandmother had to worry about

The reason the surface is courser is not the sand, but because they don't mill the inside smooth anymore. That saves a step to make it cheaper. Also, the courser surface allows for them to preseason it at the factory better. It doesn't hold the seasoning as well, and is harder to re-season. However, using a pan to make corn bread does help season it.
 
Back
Top Bottom