# Cast iron skillets



## Grey Mare (Jun 28, 2013)

I have my grandmother's cast iron skillet, then two others that I use on occasion but since gotten more interested in using them on a more routine basis. 

Does anyone have any tried and true recipe's for their use? How did you like how things came out?


----------



## M5farm (Jan 14, 2014)

I don't know anything about a specific recipe , We use ours for everything we cook that requires a pan to cook it in.


----------



## GTX63 (Dec 13, 2016)

Cast iron cooks 90% of what goes on our table. About the only thing we don't use it for is boiling water, and we do have a crock pot.
From bread, cookies, pies and cakes to pastas, meats and vegetables.
Cast iron gives, at least to our family, an organic flavor to pie crusts and breads that we don't get from modern cookware.
I will say that I don't follow oven temp and times printed on boxes or recipes as closely with cast iron. They are slower to warm up and slower to cool down and that makes a difference.
So I guess I don't have a specific recipe to give, but I will say that we tend to forget that most of what we are cooking in tin pans now originated in a cast iron one.


----------



## hiddensprings (Aug 6, 2009)

All I use is cast iron to cook with. Any recipe will work in cast iron.


----------



## GTX63 (Dec 13, 2016)

Years ago, we had glass, tin, aluminum, copper, whatever type of pot bulging the doors to our cabinets. Everytime you wanted a certain piece of cookware you had to open the door with your forearm in front of your face. These past few years I have done most of the cooking, so we have tossed most of the modern stuff. I use an #8, #9 and a #12 for meals and a #3 to catch spoons and ladles. Even with a couple loaf pans, griddles, and a few odds and ends we still have the tools for most every recipe and room in the drawers
My wife prefers the old thin wall stuff as she has weak hands and with the short handles on cast iron the lighter the better.


----------



## Cabin Fever (May 10, 2002)

Grey Mare said:


> Does anyone have any tried and true recipe's for their use? How did you like how things came out?


Recipe #1: Add bacon. Fry. Remove bacon.


----------



## susieneddy (Sep 2, 2011)

We love our cast iron skillets and dutch ovens that we had them shipped down to Mexico. We have 2 cast iron skillets that belonged to our grandparents. They are still used to this day.


----------



## Grey Mare (Jun 28, 2013)

love the bacon idea! Will have to use them more often then...thanks all!


----------



## GTX63 (Dec 13, 2016)

Bacon to eat and bacon to season them.
Get an old crusty skillet, clean it via electrolysis or self clean oven ,whatever and put it on the stove and throw in a slab of bacon. Fat to a cast iron pan is the fruit of the gods.


----------



## muleskinner2 (Oct 7, 2007)

Years ago I was visiting a old rancher friend of mine. As I walked across his porch I noticed an old dutch oven next to the door full of dry dog food. I mentioned what I thought about rich ranchers feeding there dogs in dutch ovens. Over lunch he told me the story of that particular oven.

In the late 1800's his great uncle had been a chuck wagon cook on a ranch in Wyoming. When he died my friends father ended up with the oven. The family cooked with it for over sixty years. When his dad died, my friend ended up with the oven. His family used the oven for about thirty years, until his wife wanted new modern cookware. Since the late 1990's his dogs had been eating out of the old oven. 

After lunch we were setting around talking when my friend excused himself to go use the outhouse. When he got back we talked for another hour or so, then I got up to leave. The old man walked me to my truck. As we stood at the truck talking he looked over into the bed of the truck and said ,"I had to hunt up the lid, if your wife don't like it bring it back. My dogs can always use it."

That 12" dutch oven with the original lid was sitting in the bed of my truck. Today it is sitting in my oven, made corn bread in it yesterday. Every time I use that old oven I think about chuck wagons, and dry dog food.

Muleskinner1


----------



## Waiting2Retire (Jan 14, 2013)

Not a recipe, but... I have been using my cast iron for a few years now, had it perfect, I could cook eggs with 0 sticking. Then I baked bread in it, and now everything sticks again. I've tried re-seasoning it, still sticking. The bread was great, but not worth ruining my favorite pan. Anyone have recommendations other than time and use to speed up the process of seasoning it enough for no sticking eggs again?


----------



## Cabin Fever (May 10, 2002)

A perfectly seasoned CI pan takes time. There are many pores in the CI that need filling. Consequently, it takes many uses of the pan for the final surface to become smooth. It becomes non-stick faster the more greasy foods you fry in it. Using the pan to make whop biscuit donuts is helpful.


----------



## backwoodsman7 (Mar 22, 2007)

I haven't had a chance to try seasoning with flaxseed oil yet, but intend to try it on both cast iron and heavy clad stainless steel pans.

http://sherylcanter.com/wordpress/2010/01/a-science-based-technique-for-seasoning-cast-iron/
https://www.cooksillustrated.com/how_tos/5820-the-ultimate-way-to-season-cast-iron


----------



## Meinecke (Jun 30, 2017)

I love mine "new" Lodge 12 inch...takes a while to heat up on ceramic range but once up there you can throw pretty much everything at it as long you add fat/grease...but for bacon also my first choice...


----------



## brianpoundingnails (May 30, 2018)

Keep them greased and they will last forever. Teflon is starting to show up in corpses. Never cook on anything aluminum.(contributes to Alzhiemers).


----------



## GTX63 (Dec 13, 2016)

There aren't too many of Grannie's old tin pots you can use today, and much of what the box stores sell you won't make it past your next move. Cast iron on the other hand will.


----------



## muleskinner2 (Oct 7, 2007)

backwoodsman7 said:


> I haven't had a chance to try seasoning with flaxseed oil yet, but intend to try it on both cast iron and heavy clad stainless steel pans.
> 
> http://sherylcanter.com/wordpress/2010/01/a-science-based-technique-for-seasoning-cast-iron/
> https://www.cooksillustrated.com/how_tos/5820-the-ultimate-way-to-season-cast-iron


If you cook bacon and eggs in your cast iron for a week, it will be seasoned.

Muleskinner2


----------



## backwoodsman7 (Mar 22, 2007)

muleskinner2 said:


> If you cook bacon and eggs in your cast iron for a week, it will be seasoned.


If you read the links I posted, you'll see that it won't be seasoned nearly as well as with the linseed oil method they describe.


----------



## muleskinner2 (Oct 7, 2007)

backwoodsman7 said:


> If you read the links I posted, you'll see that it won't be seasoned nearly as well as with the linseed oil method they describe.


I never said it would be better. I said it would be seasoned.

Muleskinner2


----------



## rep1270 (Apr 1, 2018)

Here are a couple of recipes I use. I use cast iron most of the time because it will put a little iron in your system when you use it. To season a pan I just cook french fries in it. These and other recipes can be cooked over a camp fire if needed too.

Some people do not like the looks of this but I think it taste good and is easy.
1 pound ground beef (turkey, chicken and other ground meat can be used)
1 onion chopped
1 or 2 cans of cream of mushroom soup concentrated
water or milk for the soup

Brown the beef and onion. Add the soup heat and serve over rice, mashed potatoes, or anything you like. You can add any seasoning that you wish.


I am a great fan of one-pan meals. Less clean-up.


1 pound ground beef 
2 cans of French style green beans
1 package noodles (with or without yokes, 12 oz or 16 oz package)
2 or 3 beef bouillon cubes (I use Better than bouillon not as salty)

Brown the ground beef is a deep skillet(you will add the rest of the ingredients to the skillet). Add the two cans of green beans, with the liquid, add the bouillon. Let the liquid heat a little then add the noodles, stir then cover. Check and stir as needed. When the noodles are soft, serve. 
I use a deep cast iron skillet I have had for years. This can be cooked over an open fire if needed. You can add any seasonings you wish.


----------



## muleskinner2 (Oct 7, 2007)

rep1270 said:


> Here are a couple of recipes I use. I use cast iron most of the time because it will put a little iron in your system when you use it. To season a pan I just cook french fries in it. These and other recipes can be cooked over a camp fire if needed too.
> 
> Some people do not like the looks of this but I think it taste good and is easy.
> 1 pound ground beef (turkey, chicken and other ground meat can be used)
> ...


I am going to give this a try. Where do I find noodles with yokes?

Muleskinner2


----------



## rep1270 (Apr 1, 2018)

You don't have to use noodles with yokes but I find that they taste better. Around here, Northern Vermont, they can be found in the grocery stores.


----------



## backwoodsman7 (Mar 22, 2007)

I think you mean egg noodles?


----------



## rep1270 (Apr 1, 2018)

Yes, but they keep changing them to make them better for you.


----------



## RideBarefoot (Jun 29, 2008)

Cabin Fever said:


> Using the pan to make whop biscuit donuts is helpful.


YES! Ever since your lady posted that recipe it's been my go-to for perfect pans


----------



## FreeRange (Oct 9, 2005)

I prefer cast iron too. Mom used to fry chicken in a cast iron skillet. The absolute best gravy ever made in that skillet. Oddly enough, she didn't use it for anything else.

When dh and I were first married, we rented an old house and the garage was full of trash. Down at the bottom was a #10 cast iron chicken frying skillet. I asked the owner and he said toss it. I've been using it ever since. I've got a big collection of cast iron now and each one is favored for certain things.

Since I am cooking for only 2 now, I usually use a #5 skillet. Here's my favorite biscuit recipe. Double it if you have a #10.
1/4 cup frozen butter, shredded (I used a paring knife and just shave off big slivers)
3/4 cup flour
1-1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup chilled buttermilk

Preheat oven to 425. Mix the dry ingredients and then toss the frozen butter bits in until they are coated. Add the buttermilk and mix with spoon until mixed. There will be visible hunks of butter. Knead 4 times lightly, and then roll lightly to 1 inch thickness. Bake until browned, about 14 minutes.

The butter will melt and coat the bottom of the skillet and make the bottom crisp and buttery. Yum!

Other than fried chicken and turkey at Christmas, my mother was a pretty bad cook. My mother-in-law, however, was an excellent cook - except for biscuits. Her biscuits were like hockey pucks. Since my mother was such a bad cook, it was my mother-in-law who taught me how to cook. And since her biscuits were so bad, I never made them. But one day, I saw someone on tv making biscuits and I learned the secret to light, fluffy biscuits. Don't knead the dough hard like bread dough, and don't knead very much. I dump the dough on the floured board, mash it out lightly with my hand, fold half over, mash it out again, fold it over again, mash it out, and then one or two more times. It's the folding over that makes it flaky.

Every time you wash your skillet, if you are in the wash with soap camp, dry it in a hot oven or even on a hot burner. That will keep it from rusting. When it is dry, drop a teaspoon of oil (more or less) into it and coat the whole pan and handle. When the cast iron is warm, the oil will soak into the pores better. Let it cool, and then wipe off the excess oil. I like to use coconut oil.


----------



## FreeRange (Oct 9, 2005)

RideBarefoot said:


> YES! Ever since your lady posted that recipe it's been my go-to for perfect pans


Where is that recipe? I just did a search and saw a picture Cabin Fever posted, but no recipe. Sounds good.


----------



## IndyDave (Jul 17, 2017)

The only thing I can really add is that as a Griswold cast iron snob, I did not have an acceptable meatloaf pan. Griswold oval roasters are all high dollar collector pieces but the 9 (turkey size) and 3 (perfect for a meatloaf) are far more rare than the 5 and 7 which were more general purpose pieces. As with most things, if equally rare collectors will favor smaller pieces for display purposes. After seeing several 3s sell anywhere from $650 to $1800 I saw one come up as a "buy it now" on eBay for $150. I can't explain the reason for that but I wasn't going to waste time. When it arrived after a bargain like that, I felt like I should have worn a Shi mask to pick it up from the porch! Oh, nothing special about my recipe but it makes an excellent meatloaf!


----------



## Skamp (Apr 26, 2014)

Cast Iron Chef, it’s being taught to 10-11 year olds, Cub Scouts.


----------



## happy hermits (Jan 2, 2018)

WE use our cast iron every day for just about everything. we use it all summer in the fire and on the grill and all winter on the woodstove. everything except things with tomatoes.


----------



## GTX63 (Dec 13, 2016)

IndyDave said:


> The only thing I can really add is that as a Griswold cast iron snob, I did not have an acceptable meatloaf pan.


I have many of the older (100 year+) Griswolds, Favorites, Piqua, Wapaks, etc, and I find I mostly cook with Wagners with the heat rings. You can pay the premium for the Griswold name, but most all of the pre war (WW1 or 2) will cook better than anything on the market today.


----------



## GTX63 (Dec 13, 2016)

happy hermits said:


> WE use our cast iron every day for just about everything. we use it all summer in the fire and on the grill and all winter on the woodstove. everything except things with tomatoes.


X2, plus we use ours for recipes with tomatoes without issue. We only substitute our cast iron when boiling water.


----------



## RideBarefoot (Jun 29, 2008)

FreeRange said:


> Where is that recipe? I just did a search and saw a picture Cabin Fever posted, but no recipe. Sounds good.


I couldn't find Wind in Her Hair's original post, but here's a synopsis from a post after I tried it~

The easiest seasoning method ever (and you get donuts):

Fill your clean CI skillet with Crisco, at least halfway up, melted. Cut holes in the centers of "pop" biscuits- the kind that come in the wrapper that you have to pop open. Watch when you fry your donuts, because you have to flip them over. Don't forget the holes! Use liberal amounts of sugar, since you're already consuming a fried donut. 

I let it solidify and do several rounds of donuts; after 2 or 3 clean out with a paper towel and you've got a good start, then use the Hades out of it.

Cheap and easy and better than Krispy Kreme.


----------



## FreeRange (Oct 9, 2005)

RideBarefoot said:


> I couldn't find Wind in Her Hair's original post, but here's a synopsis from a post after I tried it~
> 
> The easiest seasoning method ever (and you get donuts):
> 
> ...


Thanks!


----------



## RideBarefoot (Jun 29, 2008)

You are quite welcome. Enjoy!

And since your pan will be amazing after that, here's my fave cornbread recipe
http://www.cookingincastiron.com/files/20090904_queenies_cornbread.html


----------



## IndyDave (Jul 17, 2017)

GTX63 said:


> I have many of the older (100 year+) Griswolds, Favorites, Piqua, Wapaks, etc, and I find I mostly cook with Wagners with the heat rings. You can pay the premium for the Griswold name, but most all of the pre war (WW1 or 2) will cook better than anything on the market today.


No argument. There is a reason why I consider my position snobbery rather than objective truth. The only thing I will truly shun is the newer pans with surfaces like gravel driveways rather than the nice smooth machined surfaces of years gone by.


----------



## FreeRange (Oct 9, 2005)

IndyDave said:


> No argument. There is a reason why I consider my position snobbery rather than objective truth. The only thing I will truly shun is the newer pans with surfaces like gravel driveways rather than the nice smooth machined surfaces of years gone by.


Even the new ones can get that nice smooth surface after a lot of use and a lot of scrubbing. I received a new Lodge skillet about 4 years ago and I hated it. The "preseasoning" started flaking off immediately. I burned that off in my oven and started over with seasoning. When I scramble egg, I rake the bottom of the skillet a lot with my metal spatula, and I use a rough scrubbie when I clean it. It's as slick as my 60 year old griddle now.


----------



## GTX63 (Dec 13, 2016)

IndyDave said:


> No argument. There is a reason why I consider my position snobbery rather than objective truth. The only thing I will truly shun is the newer pans with surfaces like gravel driveways rather than the nice smooth machined surfaces of years gone by.


I just witnessed a #5 Griswold large slant logo pan sell for $1550. I love the rare old stuff, but if I cannot cook on it then it is just more stuff to me.


----------



## IndyDave (Jul 17, 2017)

GTX63 said:


> I just witnessed a #5 Griswold large slant logo pan sell for $1550. I love the rare old stuff, but if I cannot cook on it then it is just more stuff to me.


I am with you here. I am not too particular about things like the details of the logo so long as I have traditional Griswold quality on my stove.


----------



## weaselfire (Feb 7, 2018)

Things I don't cook in cast iron:

Deep fried turkey.
Hard boiled eggs.
Brussel sprouts.

I don't have any cast iron big enough to fry a turkey. I don't have a small cast iron pot for the eggs. And I hate brussel sprouts.

I also have a glass top stove, which limits some cast iron options. Though now that I broke that stovetop for the second time, I may switch to a traditional burner stove.

Jeff


----------



## GTX63 (Dec 13, 2016)

If the pan doesn't wobble severely or have a large gatemark, you can cook in most old cast iron on a glass top cooker, including the ones with a heatring.


----------



## Skamp (Apr 26, 2014)

weaselfire said:


> ...........I also have a glass top stove, which limits some cast iron options.........


Copper plates between the stove top and cast iron works wonders.


----------



## FreeRange (Oct 9, 2005)

rep1270 said:


> Here are a couple of recipes I use. I use cast iron most of the time because it will put a little iron in your system when you use it. To season a pan I just cook french fries in it. These and other recipes can be cooked over a camp fire if needed too.
> 
> Some people do not like the looks of this but I think it taste good and is easy.
> 1 pound ground beef (turkey, chicken and other ground meat can be used)
> ...


I made the top recipe tonight. I added a few spices and served it over mashed potatoes. Very good! Thanks!


----------



## Skamp (Apr 26, 2014)

rep1270 said:


> ............I use cast iron most of the time because it will put a little iron in your system when you use it........


You’re kidding yourself if it is a properly seasoned pan.


----------



## Txyogagirl (Jul 4, 2018)

brianpoundingnails said:


> Keep them greased and they will last forever. Teflon is starting to show up in corpses. Never cook on anything aluminum.(contributes to Alzhiemers).


What I have never heard that about aluminum. Where did u get that info? Even cookie sheets are bad my are aluminum I assume.


----------



## Txyogagirl (Jul 4, 2018)

Who do u all clean your I’m using my grandmas that I was making fried eggs in at 10 and I’m 34 not sure how long she had it before that but I assume it very old. I season mine by scrapping all the crud off with a old butter knife then scrubbing it down with soap and little water then putting it on stove on high just long enough for water to evaporate then let cool and oil entire pan upside down bake in oven 400 for 45 min then let cool I fee like I have to do this method 2 often like once a year. I have stopped cooking sauces in mine bc it harder to clean I make eggs and toast day after day and never wash it. Sound nasty but it don’t get dirty really anytime I put meat I usually wash lightly after. How do u clan your cast iron? What’s the easiest way?


----------



## GTX63 (Dec 13, 2016)

I clean mine while they are still hot/warm. Just a little hot water swirled around in the pan and a cheap green pan scrubber lightly applied and voila.
If I have anything stuck to the pan, which is rare, I just add morton's salt and use a half of a potato to scrub.
Wipe it dry or set it back on a still warm burner to dry and that is it for me.
I don't use soap.
I don't use a dishwasher.
I do not ever let them sit without cleaning.
Cast iron pans are responsive cookware, meaning that, unlike the off the shelf stuff that you can throw in the sink and walk away, how you maintain it will determine how it cooks for you.


----------



## Northof49 (Mar 3, 2018)

To clean, never use soap, a little water on very rare occasions.
After use keep on low heat, pour in a few teaspoons of fat or oil, 1/4 cup table salt. Scrub and rub with a dry washcloth until clean and smooth feeling. Wipe this out and add a few drops of fat, wipe with a clean cloth until all sides and bottom are coated.


----------



## FreeRange (Oct 9, 2005)

Txyogagirl said:


> What I have never heard that about aluminum. Where did u get that info? Even cookie sheets are bad my are aluminum I assume.


I remember hearing that on the news 10+ years ago. It's not a proven fact, but many people believe there is a connection and many people believe there isn't. 



Txyogagirl said:


> Who do u all clean your I’m using my grandmas that I was making fried eggs in at 10 and I’m 34 not sure how long she had it before that but I assume it very old. I season mine by scrapping all the crud off with a old butter knife then scrubbing it down with soap and little water then putting it on stove on high just long enough for water to evaporate then let cool and oil entire pan upside down bake in oven 400 for 45 min then let cool I fee like I have to do this method 2 often like once a year. I have stopped cooking sauces in mine bc it harder to clean I make eggs and toast day after day and never wash it. Sound nasty but it don’t get dirty really anytime I put meat I usually wash lightly after. How do u clan your cast iron? What’s the easiest way?


I'm in the soap camp. I grew up washing CI and my old pans are still like teflon after years of washing. I'm too OCD not to wash a pan after cooking food in it, and if it is well seasoned, soap will only clean the surface and not hurt the seasoning. I do dry it with heat and rub oil in after every use. Soap is another one of those controversial things. You can google and form your own opinion.


----------



## weaselfire (Feb 7, 2018)

A well seasoned pan is pretty easy to clean, let it cool a bit, wipe out leftover food with a paper towel, green scrubbie pad that has never been near soap and rinse in hot water. Towel dry immediately. Salt makes a good abrasive for tough grime.

Jeff


----------



## IndyDave (Jul 17, 2017)

FreeRange said:


> I remember hearing that on the news 10+ years ago. It's not a proven fact, but many people believe there is a connection and many people believe there isn't.


My mom's second husband dying after a long fight with cancer which started in his prostate with the apparent culprit being aluminum transferred from cans. This made a believer out of me.


----------



## Cabin Fever (May 10, 2002)

Our cast iron pots and pans have never seen dish soap....NEVER! 

If we cook something that doesn't stick, we just wipe the pan down with a paper towel and then smear some oil/Crisco on the pan.

If we cook something that has stuck to the pan, we will simply add some water to the pan and bring it to a low boil on the stovetop. Then, we scrub the pan, while the water is boiling, with a stiff nylon scrub brush. What ever is stuck to the pan comes off easily. Then, pour the dirty water out, wipe the pan with a dry paper towel (any remaining water will quickly evaporate because the pan is hot), and then coat with a thin layer of oil or Crisco.

Easy-peasy.


----------



## happy hermits (Jan 2, 2018)

My daughters birthday was yesterday she is 22 we bought her a new dutch oven lodge with the feet'. She is so happy thinking of all my meals she can make. There you go the next generation.


----------



## Skamp (Apr 26, 2014)

In a properly seasoned pan, soap has no consequence. 

Soap needed, to release buildup, is an improperly seasoned pan.


----------



## kilgrosh (Apr 29, 2014)

I started really using cast iron cookware about a year ago. For recipes, I bought _The New Cast Iron Skillet Cookbook _and have made several great recipes from there. I particularly like the Shepard's Pie recipe as its relatively cheap to make ($6-10 depending on your buying) and feeds our family of 4 for three meals (dinner, lunch, leftover dinner night). I would like to start baking with cast iron more as well.


----------



## kilgrosh (Apr 29, 2014)

Skamp said:


> In a properly seasoned pan, soap has no consequence.
> 
> Soap needed, to release buildup, is an improperly seasoned pan.


Agreed. I only use water and a wood spatula to clean my pans.


----------



## GTX63 (Dec 13, 2016)

kilgrosh said:


> I would like to start baking with cast iron more as well.


My wife makes an amazing peach pie using a simple #10 Wagner Ware Pan. We also do cookies, breads, calzones, and on and on.
Nothing really different about the prep. The baking times seem to be a little shorter with cast iron pans though.


----------



## Amanda Rice (Jul 30, 2018)

We seriously make everything in ours. I don’t know why we even keep our old stainless pans. This morning was bacon and fried eggs. Last night was Beef Udon (Chinese).


----------



## GTX63 (Dec 13, 2016)

Hot blueberry pie baked in the chicken fryer. Time for a slice with a scoop of ice cream....
View media item 172


----------



## FreeRange (Oct 9, 2005)

GTX63 said:


> Hot blueberry pie baked in the chicken fryer. Time for a slice with a scoop of ice cream....
> View media item 172


What forum is that link to?


----------



## big rockpile (Feb 24, 2003)

I Love Cast Iron my wife hates it but she uses Soap to clean it I always use plain Water.

We spent $1,500 on a Cook Ware Set that I consider a piece of junk.

big rockpile


----------

