New cast iron pan care

[Marleyan_Wine]

I purchased a 12 inch Lodge cast iron skillet, it's the 'Chefs Collection' item. I know they say you shouldn't do this, but I intend to make spaghetti al'assassina in it first thing.

What are some things I can do prior to cooking and afterwards to extend the life of this plan and possibly make it better? I heard some people sand them, but I'm unsure if that's necessary.

 

[dragnlaw]

Just keep it well oiled and do not, what ever you do, ever leave something acidic in it for any length of time.
As soon as that dish is finished, wash, dry and oil your pan.

Personally, have never heard of sanding a CI before - and certainly not a Lodge.

 

[taxlady]

I wouldn't do that in a brand new cast iron pan. There is a lot of tomato in that dish and tomato is acidic. Does it say if the new pan is already seasoned?

 

[taxlady]

Just keep it well oiled and do not, what ever you do, ever leave something acidic in it for any length of time.
As soon as that dish is finished, wash, dry and oil your pan.

Personally, have never heard of sanding a CI before - and certainly not a Lodge.

Sanding is for when you are rescuing an old damaged cast iron pan. It will take off all the old seasoning and can also take off any rust.

 

[dragnlaw]

Oh, interesting. That's the first I ever heard of actually sanding. Cooking off old seasoning, for sure.

 

[taxlady]

Some people go after the old seasoning with a Dremel or attachments to a drill.

 

[skilletlicker]

I'm just an old batchelor cook, so feel free to skip this post.

When I scortch something in a cast iron pan I don't panic. But I want to stop the burning. Assuming this is at the end of cooking, after emptying the pan I'll quickly pour a little boiling water in and then stir or brush or otherwise agitage to unstuck stuff. In better circumstances, this is called deglazing.
Now that I'm into this post I wish hadn't started it. Can't figure out how to delete it though.

So...

By looking at at a recipe for your dish, just guessing that stuck stuff is the problem. Remember that water doesn't disolve oil, detergent does. So don't use detergent,. A wet nylon scrubee won't destroy the seosoning. After the crud is gone, just add a little oil to the pan and spread it around the bottom. Wipe out any puddles of oil with a small piece of paper towell, put the pan in an oven on very low heat and go to bed. It'll probably be fine in the morning.

So if you think I ruined your pan, I sympathise. I did warned you in the first line of this post. Sorry I couldn't delete it all together. Bad advise sucks but you get what you pay for. There will be many posts following this one providing better advice.

 

[Marleyan_Wine]

I wouldn't do that in a brand new cast iron pan. There is a lot of tomato in that dish and tomato is acidic. Does it say if the new pan is already seasoned?

Yep, sure is. The about reads as follows: Natural Seasoning: This kitchen pan is seasoned with 100% natural vegetable oil for an easy-release finish, making it great as a non-stick skillet and cast-iron cookware.

I know you shouldn't cook this dish in a cast iron pan (perhaps especially a brand new pan) but that dish looks mighty amazing and I cannot stop salivating at the thought of some delicious crispy tomato sauce cooked onto al dente noodles in some cast iron...

Cast iron makes everything taste better.

 

[taxlady]

Yep, sure is. The about reads as follows: Natural Seasoning: This kitchen pan is seasoned with 100% natural vegetable oil for an easy-release finish, making it great as a non-stick skillet and cast-iron cookware.

I know you shouldn't cook this dish in a cast iron pan (perhaps especially a brand new pan) but that dish looks mighty amazing and I cannot stop salivating at the thought of some delicious crispy tomato sauce cooked onto al dente noodles in some cast iron...

Cast iron makes everything taste better.

A lot of people swear by cooking bacon in cast iron to help with the seasoning. Maybe do that a few times before trying that recipe in it. When you do get around to making that dish in your cast iron pan, I recommend washing it immediately after you have made the dish. It's okay to use dish washing detergent, if necessary, but not soap. Once the pan is washed and well rinsed, dry it. Then dry it on low heat on the stove. I know you should put oil on the pan, but I'm not sure how hot it should be when you do. Also, wipe out the oil after it has had a chance to sit for a while. You don't want that oil to go rancid.

 

[dragnlaw]

I know you shouldn't cook this dish in a cast iron pan (perhaps especially a brand new pan)

If you've not made this dish before keep in mind that the acidic nature of the sauce will change by using a CI. Maybe not by much but if it does, it will be a metallic taste.
To my way of thinking I'd much rather use a different pan for the first time I make it. Get to know the way it was intended then use a CI.
You sound as if you've used CI's before, so this should not be unusual.
I don't think the crispy nature of the dish will be changed. It still has a wet start. CI recipe most often start with crisping then go to wet.

I will say that reheating any leftovers in the CI would probably be great!

 

[pictonguy]

That should result in some fun, this dish normally does.

 

[pacanis]

Sanding is often done to turn a Lodge into a smooth bottomed Griswold. And for removing gunk, too. But not always. Wire brushes work easier for that.

 

[HeyItsSara]

you can't ruin cast iron. the worst is to start over with seasoning and tht's not a death sentence

 

[CharlieD]

I am just wondering if you don't have any other frying pans? Is it why you are using this one?

 

[Marleyan_Wine]

I am just wondering if you don't have any other frying pans? Is it why you are using this one?

It imparts a certain taste into your food, I can't quite describe it. That's why I want to use this pan to make that dish.

The AI overview suggested to use a cast iron pan when I entered the query 'what kind of pan to use to make spaghetti al'assassina' as well as this recipe I found https://www.simplyrecipes.com/assassins-spaghetti-recipe-8409970 -- Use a good pan. "I know that you’re not supposed to cook tomatoes in your cast iron skillet, but it won’t do any harm when making a quick dish like this. As long as your skillet is well-seasoned, cast iron is the way to go. Be sure to clean it soon after using so the tomato residue doesn’t sit in the pan for too long."

I just want the most flavorful dish I can muster up using the best available tools at my disposal. I have an enameled cast iron dutch oven, as well as a stainless steel pot set. I don't think either of those pots would render the flavor I'm looking for.

 

[skilletlicker]

^^ A great example of following your own arrow in a thoughtful and reasoned way.

You will go far Marleyan_Wine.

 

[dcSaute]

I purchased a 12 inch Lodge cast iron skillet, it's the 'Chefs Collection' item. I know they say you shouldn't do this, but I intend to make spaghetti al'assassina in it first thing.

What are some things I can do prior to cooking and afterwards to extend the life of this plan and possibly make it better? I heard some people sand them, but I'm unsure if that's necessary.

extend the life . . . I've have several CI skillets that are all over 100 years old . . . so 'extending the life' is a bit of a quizzical thing....

so far as sanding - the thread has morphed in the direction of "removing old seasoning" / "getting the pan back to new"

which classically is not the issue with "sanding"
ye' olde time cast iron was much smoother than the new stuff. some was machined to an absolutely glass smooth finish (inside.) there are multiple companies offering to polish smooth your last week's production model Lodge CI pan.

the internet teems with videos/advice/demonstrations of how to 'make new rough cast iron smooth like the old stuff'

in my kitchen/cooking experience . . . the old timey really smooth CI skillets outperform the new stuff by miles/light years/decades.

all my old stuff I sandblasted down to 'grey metal' i.e. bare cast iron. my "seasoning" routine is just to cook fatty stuff in it - seasoning will happen all on its own. sausage, fatty pork, fatty ground beef . . .

this my pre-1900 Griswold after 1-2 months of use. I carelessly let it overheat a bit - you can see where the "seasoning" flaked off. the seasoning is essentially 'pure carbon' - I can one-hand flip 'eggs over easy' in that pan.

 

[pictonguy]

It imparts a certain taste into your food, I can't quite describe it. That's why I want to use this pan to make that dish.

The AI overview suggested to use a cast iron pan when I entered the query 'what kind of pan to use to make spaghetti al'assassina' as well as this recipe I found https://www.simplyrecipes.com/assassins-spaghetti-recipe-8409970 -- Use a good pan. "I know that you’re not supposed to cook tomatoes in your cast iron skillet, but it won’t do any harm when making a quick dish like this. As long as your skillet is well-seasoned, cast iron is the way to go. Be sure to clean it soon after using so the tomato residue doesn’t sit in the pan for too long."

I just want the most flavorful dish I can muster up using the best available tools at my disposal. I have an enameled cast iron dutch oven, as well as a stainless steel pot set. I don't think either of those pots would render the flavor I'm looking for.

I've made this dish a few times and it is tricky so if you have any questions, just ask.

 

[dragnlaw]

in my kitchen/cooking experience . . . the old timey really smooth CI skillets outperform the new stuff by miles/light years/decades.

absolutely 100%!

those new ones with the pebbly surface are just plain ... well, they're stupidly/outrages IMHO! Would not waste money on them. If you really want CI - pay the price!

@Marleyan_Wine I've cooked many tomato based recipes in all my CI's and, as I've said, as long as you don't store, as in overnight, ( , ask me how I know - and that was close to 50 years ago) you are good to go!

Also keep in mind that Simply Recipes is a group of people all posting their own recipes, like All Recipes. I've learned to trust my instincts or just avoid some of the recipes I've read on there.

 

[Marleyan_Wine]

absolutely 100%!

those new ones with the pebbly surface are just plain ... well, they're stupidly/outrages IMHO! Would not waste money on them. If you really want CI - pay the price!

@Marleyan_Wine I've cooked many tomato based recipes in all my CI's and, as I've said, as long as you don't store, as in overnight, ( , ask me how I know - and that was close to 50 years ago) you are good to go!

Also keep in mind that Simply Recipes is a group of people all posting their own recipes, like All Recipes. I've learned to trust my instincts or just avoid some of the recipes I've read on there.

It's not just that one recipe tho, it's several. Which is counterintuitive to the well known advice of NEVER PUT ANYTHING ACIDIC INTO CAST IRON.

This tomato dish looks fantastic and several sites including this one tell you to use the pan to cook this dish https://memoriediangelina.com/2023/06/03/spaghetti-allassassina-killer-spaghetti/