Henry Rifle Forums

Don't think there has been a cast iron thread here, other than the cleaning thread.

I am a big fan of cast iron. I own a couple pre WWII pans. In my mind they are the ultimate cookware. They take as much heat as you are brave enough to throw at them. They are beautifully non stick, as long as you treat them right. They will last for generations, with proper care. They even give you the RDA of iron in the food cooked in them.

I much prefer the old iron. It can often be picked up inexpensively at flea markets and sometimes friends or relatives will give you an old pan that has been languishing in a cabinet. The old stuff generally has a much smoother surface than the new stuff, although you could probably buy a Lodge and spend some time grinding/sanding it smooth.

Griswold is my favorite, although I am not a aficionado. I probably just like the great looking logo on the bottom of the old Griswold stuff.

The new non stick pans are consumables. Even with care they must be replaced periodically. Sure, they will be nonstick even with little to no oil in them, but you must be careful about the amount of heat used, and what implements are used in them. Of course CI must be properly washed and stored. The big difference is if you mess up a CI pan, you can easily take it back to square one. The only thing that will kill them is a trip to the floor. I once dropped my favorite Griswold and heard the infamous dull ring when it hit. Yep, cracked. That was the last time I dropped a CI pan.

Any other CI fans out there?

I totally agree. I've got several cast iron pans that are quite old. It takes time to properly season one, but once it's seasoned, it's the only way to go. I use a stainless steel chain mail "cloth" and hot water to clean them. Non-stick pans are good for fried eggs, but not much else.

Cast iron is awesome. Only problem these days is so many stoves are glass top electrics. They don’t seem to play well with cast iron.

back in the 60's and 70's my father owned and cooked in several restaurants .... he has his own personal collection of cast iron pans from which he fed multitudes of folks .... our daughter has the entire set .... my wife has one well used pan which she uses for baking cornbread .... I have a 12" Lodge Dutch Oven which I use for baking and preparing a Mountain Man's Breakfast .... threads can be found in our cooking area ....

JEBar wrote:back in the 60's and 70's my father owned and cooked in several restaurants .... he has his own personal collection of cast iron pans from which he fed multitudes of folks .... our daughter has the entire set .... my wife has one well used pan which she uses for baking cornbread .... I have a 12" Lodge Dutch Oven which I use for baking and preparing a Mountain Man's Breakfast .... threads can be found in our cooking area ....

Mountain man’s breakfast? Now that sure does sound good. I’m heading over to the cooking section right now!

Is it made from real mountain men?

Sorry, couldn't help myself.

I was a fan of them, but could never get them clean. I have a couple that are waiting to be cleaned and then used. Couldn't pass ups at antique shops.

clovishound wrote:Is it made from real mountain men?

Sorry, couldn't help myself.

Yup. Organic mountain men.

daytime dave wrote:I was a fan of them, but could never get them clean. I have a couple that are waiting to be cleaned and then used. Couldn't pass ups at antique shops.

Is that clean from abuse and disuse when you got them, or from stuff you got stuck on them from use?

Either way, getting them down to base metal is not that difficult, unless they are badly rusted. Lots of good info on the web about cleaning. The great thing about CI is that you can get medieval on them without fear. The only way you will permanently damage them is if you either break one dropping it, or gouge the surface badly with power grinding equipment. Lots of folks use power sanders to clean and smooth the bottom of the pan.

Of course, once you strip one, you will need to season it. I find that it often takes a few uses to really get back to a good non stick surface after it has been heavily cleaned and then re seasoned.

clovishound wrote:I much prefer the old iron. It can often be picked up inexpensively at flea markets and sometimes friends or relatives will give you an old pan that has been languishing in a cabinet. The old stuff generally has a much smoother surface than the new stuff, although you could probably buy a Lodge and spend some time grinding/sanding it smooth.

Griswold is my favorite, although I am not a aficionado. I probably just like the great looking logo on the bottom of the old Griswold stuff.

thanks for bringing up the Griswold name .... I'd never heard of it and have enjoying reading about it .... Griswold pans sure command a premier price .... I don't drive a Rolls Royce, I drive a Chevy .... for us, cast iron cookware is a specialty item (like for corn bread) .... Lodge is our brand of choice .... someday I hope to purchase a smaller Lodge Dutch Oven and am seriously considering buying one of their cooking tables

I've no idea what the market is like now, but even though the name may command a premium price, at times there are items available at flea markets and such that are priced quite reasonably. The biggest issue I have with the Lodge is the rough casting surfaces. A little time with a ROS would likely take care of that problem.

Of course, in order to get a bargain on an old Griswold, you will likely have to spend some time combing the fleas. That can be a lot of fun. I have trouble passing by the tables with old woodworking tools. I already have far more hand planes in my shop than I could ever use.

If there's anything better than a Porterhouse cooked in a cast iron skillet, I haven't found it yet. I have two Lodges one 10 inch and one that's lot bigger.
That 10 inch skillet is one of the best things my daughter ever bought me.

Is there a secret to cooking steak on cast iron? Going to be cooking for just me Thursday night.Steak on cast iron is something I haven't tried. Too darned cold to grill out!

A Lot of Butter and Garlic!

Kosher salt in the bottom of the pan. Get the pan hot and throw in the steak and sear on both sides. I put mine in a 400 degree oven for a couple of minutes if it's real thick. Then finish on the stove top.

Covered or open?

Open

Thank you! I'll give that a whirl.

I have a sizeable collection of cast iron that was handed down through my Mom's side of the family starting with my Great Grand Mother.

It's from the 20's/30's, and came across the Great Plains, ala "Grapes of Rath" to Oregon, where my Grandmother and her family settled down.

It's all Griswold and Axford, I'm using some of it as wall decoration in the Kitchen (I still have fond memories of her making hub cap sized pancakes in the skillet shown in the upper left) and the rest is working cookware.

One of my favorites is an Axford "Broiler" that is great for burgers and steaks. Yes... that's glass top cooktop, but it's not what I use to cook with for cast iron, I have one of those single burner table top butane stoves, nothing beats gas for temperature control.

For cast iron seasoning, nothing beats flax seed oil. I found an explanation of the seasoning process that said it's the polymerization of the oil via controlled heat, and that flax seed was the best oil to use... I tried it and have to agree, very durable.

I had to chuckle about clovishound's comment about not making it past the old woodworking tools to get to the cast iron, I have the same problem... Stanley planes, auger bits and braces, chisels, saws, clamps...

Most of our stuff is 10" or 12" Lodge, very well seasoned as they got a lot of use and abuse. It's always interesting to see the look on guests faces when I tell them that beautiful steak they are eating was NOT done on a grill or plancha but in a simple cast iron pan.