Cooked burger on new cast iron ended up with messy pan

[legend_018]

Hello. I cooked burgers on new Lodge cast iron skilled. I ended up with a messy pan. it's not the first time using the pan, but the first time cooking burgers. It was a combination of bison and ground beef all grass fed and some ground up calf liver. Actually I made the mistake of defrosting the calf liver so it ground up more into a liquid form. I was suppose to ground it up frozen. But anyways, the patties were large in size. They came out good. Made a bit of a mess though. The burger charred the pan and there was a lot of charred bits stuck to the pan. I did scrape some of it as soon as I took the burgers off. The oil I have in the house right now for frying is peanut oil.

It it normal for the pan to be pretty messy after this and have stuck charred bits on it. The wouldn't exactly come off with my scrubber of sponge. I had to use my fingernails and after putting some oil on it, it was easier to get off once cooled.

 

[Chef Munky]

When the pan cools off add just enough water to it to cover the bits.

Turn the burner on low.I use an old small flat frosting knife to scrape the bits off.It won't take you long to do.When it's done I dump it down the sink and use the blue sponge scrubber with hot water and soap.Quickly dry it.Re oil the griddle.

Sometimes I just use a paper towel that's been dabbed a little in bacon grease.If it's not available canola or vegetable oil will do the job.

 

[Cooking4to]

When my skillets get dirty, I will just put a bit of dawn in there with some water, bring it to a boil then put it on low, I have never had it not work, just dump it outside in the woods and then clean the pan in the sink and retreat the pan with oil... I try not to make a habit out of this, most of the time when it gets messy its because I had the temp wrong or moved the meat around too soon...

One of the good things about a skillet is you can't ruin them, I have saved a few rusty old crusty units that where older than my parents, simple sand blasting, oil boil and they are good for another 50 years...

 

[Andy M.]

For messy jobs like that, I just boil some water in the pan for several minutes to soften the crud then clean up with a blue scrubbie sponge.

 

[Mad Cook]

Hello. I cooked burgers on new Lodge cast iron skilled. I ended up with a messy pan. it's not the first time using the pan, but the first time cooking burgers. It was a combination of bison and ground beef all grass fed and some ground up calf liver. Actually I made the mistake of defrosting the calf liver so it ground up more into a liquid form. I was suppose to ground it up frozen. But anyways, the patties were large in size. They came out good. Made a bit of a mess though. The burger charred the pan and there was a lot of charred bits stuck to the pan. I did scrape some of it as soon as I took the burgers off. The oil I have in the house right now for frying is peanut oil.

It it normal for the pan to be pretty messy after this and have stuck charred bits on it. The wouldn't exactly come off with my scrubber of sponge. I had to use my fingernails and after putting some oil on it, it was easier to get off once cooled.

Might be worth trying the old trick of brushing oil on the burger rather than putting oil into the pan. Was the pan hot enough? Both are supposed to avoid having the burger mess up your pan. It works for me.

However, you could be right about the burger being a bit too wet as a result of the thawed calves' liver.

 

[callmaker60]

I clean my lodge and griswold pans with just hot water and use a plastic scrapper if required. NO SOAP!!, Then I dry add a little olive oil heat the pan and wipe the oil in and off. No problems with anything sticking.

 

[jennyema]

Hot water, dish soap and a plastic scrubber should do the trick. Make sure you dry your pan completely afterwards.

 

[Zagut]

You've gotten good advice so far.

My method would be to de-glaze the pan and then wash with "hot" water. Use soap if necessary.

Then be sure to dry and oil your cast iron. A bit of heat wouldn't hurt at this point.

Cast Iron is durable stuff but it doesn't like rust. That's what drying and oil help prevent.

Don't sweat the "seasoning". That comes with use and keeping it from rusting. Rust is not your friend.

I hope your grandchildren will enjoy your pan as much as I enjoy my grandmothers pans.

 

[GotGarlic]

Usually when food sticks to a cast-iron or stainless steel pan, it's because the pan wasn't hot enough, the meat was turned too soon, or both. Next time, pre-heat the pan for five minutes, drizzle a little oil and swirl it around to lubricate the entire surface, and wait to turn the meat until it releases easily. Hope this helps.

 

[CharlieD]

Also since it is cast iron pan and if you do all the scraping you might scrape the finish, that is if it had one. Being that it is new pan. After the cleaning, try to sautee some diced onion in that pan.

 

[RPCookin]

Usually when food sticks to a cast-iron or stainless steel pan, it's because the pan wasn't hot enough, the meat was turned too soon, or both. Next time, pre-heat the pan for five minutes, drizzle a little oil and swirl it around to lubricate the entire surface, and wait to turn the meat until it releases easily. Hope this helps.

With SS it can be either not hot enough or too hot (see THIS site or THIS one for more info on this). I don't have enough experience with CI yet to make a comment. In my short time using it, it seems if it is properly seasoned, it's pretty hard to make beef stick to it. It could very well be the liver that made the difference (can't imagine putting liver in a burger, but then I can't stand liver, so..... )

 

[Cooking4to]

With SS it can be either not hot enough or too hot (see THIS site or THIS one for more info on this). I don't have enough experience with CI yet to make a comment. In my short time using it, it seems if it is properly seasoned, it's pretty hard to make beef stick to it. It could very well be the liver that made the difference (can't imagine putting liver in a burger, but then I can't stand liver, so..... )

I don't cook on s/s, I know some people do I just don't see the use myself.. I calphalon non stick unison series, treated ci, coated ci, or ceramic. All for different things, and it has taken a long time for me to learn to use them properly...

With ci as I said in a previous post, not hot enough {adding meat too soon}, too hot, moving the meat too soon, and or the meat being too cold, and it can get messy...
Its kind of an art, when I cook a burger, I know my pan, my stove, and my meat, so the results show that, but my brother came over once, he gets an ice cold burger patty, a medium low heated pan with the burner on high, and drops that burger on there, then after 30 seconds tries to move it over to add another burger to the pan, and it turned into a mess, I ended up, throwing that burger away and starting over.

I get the pan to a hot temp where an 1/8" thick piece of butter will liquify in under a 2 count, I know exactly what burner to set it on and what spot to have the dial at {trial and error}. Then I get a room temperature burger and drop it in the spot I want it to cook {depending on how many I am cooking, I always leave a spare spot, never load the pan full}, then I do NOT touch it until I am going to flip it 3-4 minutes, I use my metal spat and put the burger in my spare spot, not the spot it came from, then it finishes there, I don't touch it until I am adding it to my bun. I never add cheese in the pan, I take my room temp cheese and put it on the warm bun then put the last side of the burger that was on the pan directly from the pan onto the cheese, it melts it perfectly, although it puts the cheese on the bottom, know one ever complained...

Anyway, that my technique, clean and treat your pan, then find what wroks for you..