A new to me cast iron skillet!!!

Focker

500 said:

So my cast iron question is this;  How do I sear a steak without loosing the precious years of seasoning?  The high heat will kill the seasoning, correct?

Buy a Lodge griddle or skillet for searing/blackening only.  Delegate your vintage or well seasoned CI raised direct, indirect, or on the cooktop.  The machined surface of the old stuff really has no advantage here.  All you are doing, is transferring heat.  So Lodge works just fine.    

Carolina Q

I keep meaning to go find a piece of steel plate for that sort of thing. And for pizza. No way I will buy a pizza steel when I can get scrap for a few bucks. 

Nature Boy

Great story, and comments. And yes, by all means if you got a beautifully seasoned pan, all you have to do is maintain. Enjoy many beautifully and evenly browned cooks!! 

If only that pan could talk!

Chris

PS….negatory on the self clean cycle or the clean burn. I used to do that, but it is not worth the risk. However, the EGG is a great way to season cast iron, just not so hot.

Gator_Man

This may help with the sear the steak!!! It will take a very long time to burn off the seasoning!!! If you want to burn off the seasoning you need to put the cast iron in the oven and run it through the self clean cycle! it will get so hot that all of the years of cooked on grease will turn it into ash. Just like doing a clean burn in the egg. the problem with this method is the cast iron might crack or warp. If you are searing a steak at that high of a temperature for that long of a period well then you will burn off the seasoning, but your steak will be just a touch on the crusty side!!! So go ahead and sear your steak and enjoy! G M

travisstrick

I'll add my $.02

I have a few griswold and Wagner pre 1960 pans. I nuked the crap out of them in my egg and they did fine. In fact, they came out looking brand new. I pre heated them slowly to 500 in the oven at 50 degree increments.

yzzi

I've done about 15 pieces of Wagner and griswold cast iron in the oven/egg on self clean. Never have I had a problem. Cast iron is made to go to those temps. My thought is that the pieces that crack were either defective or have seen some abuse that made them susceptible to cracking. Slow changes in temp like Travis mentioned should prevent most warping. To each his own, but I wouldn't be afraid to use self cleaning for striping off seasoning. It's quicker than oven cleaner, and I'm not particularly patient :-)

I have a really warped and pitted Wagner skillet that I dedicated to searing on the egg. I would be careful if you're using one that your picky about. When searing, temps can go north quickly so your probably at one point in the future going to accidentally strip off some seasoning on the bottom, especially if you use the pan directly over the heat. Foil helps or raising it or going indirect, but it's easier to find a crappy skillet that's warped or no name or pitted that you can talk someone down to a couple bucks and that thing will be perfect for those hot egg sears. And worst comes to worse if you accidentally strip off seasoning, just reseason!

Gator_Man

travisstrick said:

I'll add my $.02 I have a few griswold and Wagner pre 1960 pans. I nuked the crap out of them in my egg and they did fine. In fact, they came out looking brand new. I pre heated them slowly to 500 in the oven at 50 degree increments.

It doesn't always warp or crack them! but has been know to happen and I'm glad your turned out so well! Congrats.

Gator_Man

yzzi said:

I've done about 15 pieces of Wagner and griswold cast iron in the oven/egg on self clean. Never have I had a problem. Cast iron is made to go to those temps. My thought is that the pieces that crack were either defective or have seen some abuse that made them susceptible to cracking. Slow changes in temp like Travis mentioned should prevent most warping. To each his own, but I wouldn't be afraid to use self cleaning for striping off seasoning. It's quicker than oven cleaner, and I'm not particularly patient :-) I have a really warped and pitted Wagner skillet that I dedicated to searing on the egg. I would be careful if you're using one that your picky about. When searing, temps can go north quickly so your probably at one point in the future going to accidentally strip off some seasoning on the bottom, especially if you use the pan directly over the heat. Foil helps or raising it or going indirect, but it's easier to find a crappy skillet that's warped or no name or pitted that you can talk someone down to a couple bucks and that thing will be perfect for those hot egg sears. And worst comes to worse if you accidentally strip off seasoning, just reseason!

I agree with 100%

GeorgeS

Congrats on the family skillet! I'm in a similar boat as I just received my great grandmothers griddle from my aunt last week. Enjoy it and the memories!

Focker

yzzi said:

I've done about 15 pieces of Wagner and griswold cast iron in the oven/egg on self clean. Never have I had a problem. Cast iron is made to go to those temps. My thought is that the pieces that crack were either defective or have seen some abuse that made them susceptible to cracking. Slow changes in temp like Travis mentioned should prevent most warping. To each his own, but I wouldn't be afraid to use self cleaning for striping off seasoning. It's quicker than oven cleaner, and I'm not particularly patient :-) I have a really warped and pitted Wagner skillet that I dedicated to searing on the egg. I would be careful if you're using one that your picky about. When searing, temps can go north quickly so your probably at one point in the future going to accidentally strip off some seasoning on the bottom, especially if you use the pan directly over the heat. Foil helps or raising it or going indirect, but it's easier to find a crappy skillet that's warped or no name or pitted that you can talk someone down to a couple bucks and that thing will be perfect for those hot egg sears. And worst comes to worse if you accidentally strip off seasoning, just reseason!

If they are made for these temps then why do we find so many warped and pitted pieces?

yzzi

A lot of the warping comes from temp changing too quickly. Hot pan hitting water from sink--warped.

yzzi

I say all this, I'll probably crack my next piece, lol

Focker

yzzi said:

A lot of the warping comes from temp changing too quickly. Hot pan hitting water from sink--warped.

Warping, pitting, and cracking on the old stuff is actually from the wood burning stove's eye. 

NPHuskerFL

Agree with ya @yzzi thermal shock to a cast iron anything can cause warping or cracking. Cast iron is prized because of its ability to hold and disburse heat so well. That said heating it like @travisstrick‌ said slowly vs ambient to 800℉ so quick will help and also I just let mine cool off on their own. Nothing like a good sear off a c.i. pan. I have one for pies as well and swear to ya the absolute best sweet potato pie I've ever had was made in my egg in my c.i. pie pan. Good stuff.

Mickey

I use salt to clean CI.

tarheelmatt

Thanks for all the input fellas... I was wanting to get some pictures again last night of the pan but it just didn't happen.  The parenting thing is time consuming (but worth it)
)

NPHuskerFL

@tarheelmatt‌...the real question is...whatcha gonna use it for first? Steaks! Be sure to post pics. :-)

tarheelmatt

@NPHuskerFL It will be steak or some big thick chops... We do not eat a lot of steak currently because my wife is nursing our newborn and cannot have steak MR like she likes it.  Every now and again we will because I love steak.  Especially a big thick ribeye. 

Eggcelsior

tarheelmatt said:

@NPHuskerFL It will be steak or some big thick chops... We do not eat a lot of steak currently because my wife is nursing our newborn and cannot have steak MR like she likes it.  Every now and again we will because I love steak.  Especially a big thick ribeye. 

Unless your wife's doctor said otherwise, she can eat MR steak. The risks of undercooked meat in utero don't translate to breastfeeding, even if your wife gets sick(food poisoning). The only thing she'll share with the baby are antibodies to her illness, which is protective.

tarheelmatt

@Eggcelsior the doctors/lactation experts still recommended to eat cooked meats done.  I have researched and found some say yes and some say no.  My wife is extra cautious.  I told her she would be fine with medium, but she doesn't want to take a chance. 

Eggcelsior

Fair enough. That's why I deferred to them.

My wife and I are both nurses(she doesn't practice currently) and my mother is a family physician. All advice(including her doctor) I have received and peer-reviewed data I have seen states that pregnancy restrictions on raw meat, deli items, and pate are safe for lactating mothers. The baddies you can get from these will make her feel like crap, but not the baby unless she handles these foods and then handles anything that could go into the baby's mouth without proper hand hygiene(pacifier, bottle, etc.)

HOWEVER, you should exclusively listen to your MD and not some yahoo spouting off on the interwebs.

tarheelmatt

@Eggcelsior, No yahoo's... After a breast feeding class with the lactation experts, I asked about doneness and she said "done" and then I asked again before we were discharged and was told "done".  My wife has been craving prime rib and so have I.  I have especially wanted to cook a prime rib on the egg.  I will have to wait a little while longer. 

Eggcelsior

Sorry, by "yahoo" I meant me telling you this stuff  I would still defer to your doctor/lactation expert no matter what.

tarheelmatt

@Eggcelsior I do not look to you as a yahoo, however when one starts to read these blogs, forums, and other sources, one tends to get overwhelmed.  I appreicate the input.  

tarheelmatt

travisstrickNPHuskerFL

Here are some pictures I quickly took of the skillet.  I am interested in knowing a little about it.  From what I see there really isn't any markings so the skillet is likely not "the one to have", but the history behind this is what makes it grand.  

If you want to see larger images, click the below link. 

http://www.matthewhusseyphotography.com/Other/Cast-Iron-Skillet/n-MqrhT

With the naked eye, the rust is non-existent, but with the a little flash I guess it appears.  

Focker

1950s unmarked Wagner, very nice pan.

yzzi

Piece of junk. I'll PM you my address to mail it and I'll be happy to "recycle" it for you. ;-)

travisstrick

That is the one to have. Around 1960 they all said "made in USA" or wherever. That pan was made prior to 1960 and I haven't found any that old that are not great.

NPHuskerFL

@travisstrick‌ we have 1 that is pre 1960 and use it on a regular basis. I'm with you>>> screw hanging it on a wall. My Grandmother would slap me silly if she were alive and she found it hung up for pretty. The second is post 1960 Griswold from SWMBOs late Uncle. And we have a couple of newer ones...one of which is a nice fluted deep dish pie pan. Love each of them but, the family ones hold special meaning to us. And when I and SWMBO are 6' under our Son will have them. But, until then they're mine all mine :-D

tarheelmatt

@NPHuskerFL, @travisstrick, @yzzi, Eggcelsior - Thank all you guys for the help.  My plan is to use it this weekend for some steak or chops!