Im loving Cast Iron!

I got this awesome skillet/pan Cast Iron set that turns into a Dutch Oven that ACTUALLY FITS in my tiny oven on the camper!


So... Being me, I been using them.  Trying to get a good seasoning going.

Its taken a few months but I think I'm about there with the deep one.  I use it for browning ground meat (I usually do three pds at a time).  Needless to say, I don't drain, I simmer the fat away so it has gotten one hell of a layer cooked in.  I then wipe the excess out and around and bake or burn it off on the stove top depending on time and oven use.

My thinner one hasn't been as heavily used but I did make biscuits the other day.  They popped right out even though I forgot to butter the bottom.  As long as I heat the bottom good before I throw food in then my pans then there isn't a issue.

I tried cookies too.  I'm happy to say they didn't taste like tacos (which I made the night before).


My eggs BARELY stick- but they are eggs, and once the pan cools any remaining falls out without a issue (Yay!)


Needless to say, these two pans are better then most of what I've had... But there was a learning curve...  In the form of hamburger helper...  You can easily forget milk heats REAL fast.. And noodles and cheese burn REAL fast too.  That was a MESS!

I spent three hour clawing it out and rinsing with hot water.  (Yes, I avoided soap..)  Then, added water and boiled it on the stove for 10 minutes... Dumped, let it dry on the stove with heat on, added oil, carefully burned self as I spread it, let it cook off, cooled.

Then I did a new seasoning of beef fat ALL over it, baked it and went right back to it.


In five hours, I had the pot back to new from a mess that would of trashed most of my pans...


I haven't tried Helper again, but I've done grilled cheese, all the meats I could (including deer thank you daddy), eggs, stir fry, veggies, pizza (It was soggy, too much sauce and the bottom wasn't hot enough, lesson learned!  The next attempt was MUCH better), bread, a pie, apple filling, tacos, chimichangas, Potatoes, fried rice, pancakes, and so on and so forth.


I'm not brave enough to do tomatoes yet (since I've heard that can peel your seasoning and leach iron from the pan turning the food grey...No thank chu).  But i'll get there.


My next goal is to start trying dutch oven recipes!  Probably starting with a simple stew and work up.


Wish me luck!

Linda