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.