So here’s my step-by-step instructions... :-)
1. Heat the clean pan with about 1/4 C lard in it on high heat for ten minutes. Rotate the pan a few times to make sure it’s nicely coated.
2. While still hot, pour out the extra lard. Allow to cool completely.
3. The next day, preheat with about a tablespoon of lard, then cook a pork product in the pan. Sausage... bratwurst... something greasy.
4. When done cooking, dump out anything that’s in the pan, wipe it out, then add a tablespoon of lard and heat the pan on high again. (Repeat steps one and two)
5. Go through the cycles about four or five times.
Now you should have a decent season by this point. Time to get a little daring.
6. Hubs cooked corn beef hash the first time that we were ready to get risky. It did stick a bit. After breakfast, I added about a tablespoon of lard and 1/4 C water, reheated the pan and gently scraped the bottom and sides with a plastic spatula until everything was loose, then dumped it out.
7. Back to steps one and two.
8. The next thing I tried was the cut up chicken breast followed by the gravy. This time nothing stuck. To clean it, I just added a bit of lard and water, scraped, then dumped it out. Wiped out the last bit with some paper towel and repeated steps one and two.
That’s it! Once I got a good season, it’s been really easy.
I’m working on the small pan now.
The tricks are - use lard, don’t wash it, get it HOT when applying the next layer of lard, let it cool completely before cooking, preheat it before cooking, and stick with meat-only dishes for the first half dozen uses or more.
These cast-iron posts have reminded me of some fellows who did videos on how to restore really nasty old pieces:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qjNhI9WtyrY
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K_yBpmvVwH8
I love YouTube; there are so many great characters sharing what they know (I haven’t completely figured out Tommy Creech, yet; but I like watching him ;-)
-JT
thanks! Do you dump out the lard that was at high heat for 10 minor use it again?
oh, and by high heat do you mean with the lard sputtering all over the stove? Just wondering how hot is hot enough ;)
I think i’ll wait until all my cast iron is unpacked, since I don’t know how long lard lasts. I just found out my new basement is defective and is 10 degrees too hot. I am so disappointed! My food won’t last as long as I had planned.