What is this??

[DietitianInTraining]

I was reading a corn bread recipe, that needed a cast iron skillet, and that made me remember something..


I got this as a wedding gift and have no idea what it is! I think I remember trying to use it once... I put it on the burner ontop of the stove, and sprayed pam on it, and it started smoking real bad so I put it up, and havn't touched it since. Now it has a dark circle from where I sprayed the pam. This thing is really heavy, and i'm afraid might have a little rust on the back of it..

Can anyone tell me what this is, and how i'm suppose to use it??

 

[Katie H]

You have a square "grill" pan. From the looks of it, you need to season it to make it ready for use.

To do that, wipe it down well with vegetable shortening (Crisco) and put it on a rack in the oven, upside down, in a preheated 350F oven. "Bake" it for about 1 hour. Remove and allow to cool.

You may have to do the seasoning process a couple of times to build up a nice non-stick surface.

Once seasoned, you can use it for grilling meat, poultry, fish, etc.

 

[Maverick2272]

Looks like a cast iron grill pan but it also looks shiny like aluminum? The ridges on the bottom make me think it is meant to 'grill' items on the cook top and has a pour spout on the side for the grease and fat.
But, I would wait to see what others say first. Do you know what it is made of? Is that what new cast iron looks like? (believe it or not all mine were had used and are black.. so I assume all cast iron is black). DW says yes that is what new cast iron looks like. If she is right, then it needs seasoning.
I bet all these questions are not helping LOL.

 

[DietitianInTraining]

Hmm.. So do I just rub the inside part or the whole thing with Crisco? How will I know if it's "seasoned" enough to use?

Thanks alot!

 

[Maverick2272]

OK, so while I was typing and pondering, Katie answered it LOL.

 

[DietitianInTraining]

lol Maverick.... I don't know.


It's very heavy.. So maybe it is cast iron.

Like I said, I only used it once, and it started smoking and scared me, lol. Should I be worried about the rust at all? How did it get rust on it just sitting in a cabinet?...

 

[Katie H]

Rub the whole thing inside and out with shortening. Yes, I know it sounds yucky, but you have to coat all the surfaces. The heat in th oven will cook some of the shortening onto the metal, which will seal it. That's why I said you might have to do the whole process more than once.

Like a cast-iron skillet, the more times you cook fatty foods in it, the better it gets.

Now, one thing I failed to mention is that don't wash the pan with caustic soap and water after you've used it. That will remove the seasoning you worked hard to achieve. If you must, sprinkle some salt into it, swish/scrub around and rinse out. Dry immediately.

The whole seasoning/cleaning process takes some practice, but it's well worth the effort.

 

[Maverick2272]

yea I'm gonna go with Katie and DW and agree it is cast iron. Just the inside needs seasoning (unless again there is something I am unaware of), and it smoked because the pam was burning on it. Cast iron rusts if left sitting around, so that doesn't surprise me either and wouldn't worry about it.
With my cast iron I scrub the outsides but am gentle on the inside so as not to ruin the 'seasoning' on it. Someone once told me not to use brillo pads on the outside even, so I use the sponges with the scrubber on one side. Seems to do the trick.

Now, lets see if Katie answered again while I was typing... LOL.

 

[Maverick2272]

Rub the whole thing inside and out with shortening. Yes, I know it sounds yucky, but you have to coat all the surfaces. The heat in th oven will cook some of the shortening onto the metal, which will seal it. That's why I said you might have to do the whole process more than once.

Like a cast-iron skillet, the more times you cook fatty foods in it, the better it gets.

Now, one thing I failed to mention is that don't wash the pan with caustic soap and water after you've used it. That will remove the seasoning you worked hard to achieve. If you must, sprinkle some salt into it, swish/scrub around and rinse out. Dry immediately.

The whole seasoning/cleaning process takes some practice, but it's well worth the effort.

I should have followed my instinct and just shut up and waited for you to answer!! I guess it is a good thing DW takes care of my cast iron for me too!!

 

[Katie H]

If it got rusty just by sitting in the cabinet, it's most likely cast-iron. Unseasoned cast-iron will attract moisture like a magnet attracts iron filings. That's one of the reasons we should season it. The seasoning seals the metal and protects it from absorbing moisture, even from the air.

 

[DietitianInTraining]

Okay I understand now.

Thanks alot!!

 

[Maverick2272]

yea, I understand now too!! LOL.

Thank you Katie!

 

[DietitianInTraining]

lol yes, thank you Katie!

 

[GrillingFool]

It might also have smoked if there was a protective "film" put on it to
prevent it from rusting.

I would give it a really good scrubbing in hot hot soapy water, rinse
and dry well.

Then proceed with the seasoning. The "non stick" surface will build up with
use. Wash with hot water, avoid soap, dry well.

I like to rub my cast iron down with a very light coat of oil after each use.
I slightly heat them on the stove after washing, to dry them, then oil it.

 

[kitchenelf]

I "dry" mine by placing on the burner and heat until all water is gone. I take a paper towel and rub the inside AND outside with some lard to keep from rusting.

 

[Chief Longwind Of The North]

Ok, time for a lecture. Cast iron is made of iron (can I say anything more obvious?). When iron comes into contact with oxygen, it will combine with that oxygen and create iron-oxide (rust). This is the most stable form for iron. As a point of fact, iron ore is actually iron oxide and must be treated to remove the oxides giving us the iron for all ferric products. Where the water comes in is that water is a great electrolyte. That is, it acts as a conduit for electrical energy. Place a little water on iron and it allows the conbination of the oxygen from the air and the cast iron, resulting in rust.

The seasoning we create on all surfaces of cast iron act as a hermetic seal against air and water coming into contact with the base metal. And since it is carbon based (very slippery stuff, that carbon), it makes the metal stick resistant as well. It also protects the metal from contact with acidic an alkali ingredients, i.e. tomao sauce, baking soda. Acids and alkalies both make great electrolytes, allowing the transfer of electrons through the material, again causing corrosion.

Ever wonder why tomato sauce cooked in cast iron tastes like iron? It's because the acidic tomato sauce leaches ferric ions from the bas metal. If a cast iron pan is seasoned correctly, you can cook anything in it without fear of metalic flavors in you food, because you've protected the pan from contact with the food through the pan seasoning.

I have a problem with using cast iron grilling pans in the house. When heated sufficiently to give meats a great sear, and hence, great flavor, they smoke up the house like crazy. I only use my c.i. gill pans when I'm cooking outdoors, say on a campfire, where the resultant smoke does not create problems, and in fact, helps flavor the food.

There. The lecture is over. Recess time. Go play, kids.

Seeeeeeeeya; Goodweed of the North

 

[Jeekinz]

Looks like there's a little spout on the side? Nice touch. Is there a brand or symbol on the bottom?

 

[DietitianInTraining]

All it says on the bottom is "invitations" and made in china..

Thanks everybody for the help!

 

[Maverick2272]

I am going to go hide in shame now over how I treat my cast iron, and before any of you get the idea to thwack me upside the head for it!

 

[Jeekinz]

All it says on the bottom is "invitations" and made in china..

Thanks everybody for the help!

I found an old set in my Mothers basement that was supposed to be my Fathers CI from way back when. They were all rusty and junk. A little elbow grease, now they are as non-stick as any teflon pan. Just says China on the bottom.