For all you who clean CI with Kosher salt

yzzi

I cleaned out my CI with Kosher salt today after cooking bacon and ended up with some bacon enhanced salt. I dumped it down the drain and now that I'm about to cook some oven fries I regret that so I could used that on the fries. Anyone else do that?

RRP

Me thinks the key word is "clean" as you used that salt to clean the crud off the CI. I wouldn't worry about the loss of that salt personally.

Acn

Yeah, I wouldn't worry about the salt.

How do you do you oven fries? We save the fat from when we cook bacon and will use that, drop a tablespoon or two into a CI skillet and heat it on the stove top to re-melt the fat, then drop in the potatoes, add pepper and chopped fresh rosemary, stir to coat everything with the bacon fat and seasoning, then roast until done.

SenecaTheYounger

I hope no fat went down the drain. :-O

Personally, I don't use salt.  Don't see the logic.  Post-bacon, I pour off the hot fat (and save), then a quick scrub with a steel or copper scrubber for any stuck bits (shouldn't be much) with a little hot water to scare up the excess fat.  Then paper towel it out while still piping hot.  The remaining fat will help season it.  Hang it up hot. Dries instantly.

yzzi

I never did the salt thing till today. I did bacon in the dutch oven since it was out and didn't know the next time I'd use so I didn't want the reside to go rancid so I dumped the grease in my grease jar (definitely not down the drain) then figured I'd try the salt thing to soak up the remains liquid and scrub out the bacon Browns. Essentially I dumped bacon flavored salt I could have used today. Usually I clean like Seneca said.

@acn first time I did oven fries in the egg. Heated baking steel to 450, cut some russet into six wedges. Soaked in water 5 minutes, patted dry and coated in olive oil and salt. About 10 minutes per side till brown. They turned out great though I haven't eaten one yet.

yzzi

Ok I just tried one dipped in Franklin's brisket sauce and they are fantastic. I should have made more.

Zmokin

I would be paranoid to use salt to clean my CI.

Fear of corrosion.

I always wash mine out with just hot water and a plastic scrub brush, dry with paper towels, add oil or bacon fat, wipe it well with another paper towel to thoroughly spread the lubricant.  Heat on stove on high for 2:22, turn off stove, wipe out any excess oil with another paper towel, and let cool.  The two minutes plus on high insures any moisture remaining from the hot water wash is completely evaporated and it lets the oil seep into the small porosity of the pan surface.

RRP

Zmokin said:

I would be paranoid to use salt to clean my CI.

Fear of corrosion.

I always wash mine out with just hot water and a plastic scrub brush, dry with paper towels, add oil or bacon fat, wipe it well with another paper towel to thoroughly spread the lubricant.  Heat on stove on high for 2:22, turn off stove, wipe out any excess oil with another paper towel, and let cool.  The two minutes plus on high insures any moisture remaining from the hot water wash is completely evaporated and it lets the oil seep into the small porosity of the pan surface.

I understand your reluctance, but when my cast iron pieces really have burnt on residue I too will resort to the Kosher salt cleaning method. It is surprising how well that works and yet doesn't destroy the build up.