A good friend of mine started a non-profit organization, KKOOM, that helps Korean orphans. In Korea, many kids who are without family end up living in orphanages until they are adults. In addition to all the other work she does, my friend has spent every Christmas for the past several years at an orphanage in Korea putting together a Christmas party for some of these kids. It's amazing and if you have a few extra dollars and feel the urge, click over and help. It's a pretty awesome feeling, and you don't actually have to do any baking or cleaning up.
Now, back to my usual tomfoolery.
My mother-in-law asked me what I wanted for Christmas. Now, not being Christian, my interpretation of Christmas presents is something you want for yourself, but you have someone else get for you and then you don't have to do the actual purchasing. It's basically asking someone to run an errand for you, which is the spirit of the holiday season, right?
Anyway, my teflon pan is flaking, and if you know me at all, you know that I'm more than a little concerned that I probably shouldn't be eating stuff that's been cooked in it. So I was looking for a replacement and read that a cast iron skillet is a good substitute. Therefore, I told my mother-in-law I wanted a cast iron skillet.
She said, "That's not a present, but I'll buy it for you anyway," and gave me a bag of cash. I'm counting it as a present, even though I ordered it, because why not? Who doesn't like getting presents? And she paid for it. That's totally a present.
The skillet came already seasoned, which leads me to my dilemma - how do I, a woman who loves cleanliness above all things and who is already paranoid about food stuff, use a skillet that YOU CANNOT WASH WITH SOAP?
I've already rinsed it in burning hot water, scrubbing it with the fancy scrubby bristle brush I ordered, but I'm a wee bit nervous about using it.
Any cast iron skillet users? And cast iron skillet users who are fucking lunatics like me?
It's sitting on my counter, looking pretty awesome and ready to get a nice crisp on something delicious. I'd like to use it, but I'm afraid.
 |
| There's a *lid*, too! |
Mostly, you can get away with a little hot water. If you get soemthing sort of stuck to it you can use coarse salt (Kosher or sea salt) as an abbrasive. Just dump some in, and scrub it around with a brush. It'll turn brown and nasty looking as it picks up oil and debris, and then you can just rinse it out and rub the pan down with oil again.
ReplyDeleteOh you will love it. It really looks kind of gross eventually - but trust me...it's just well seasoned. Water and salt and oil. I hide mine in the oven when guests come over.
ReplyDeleteSadly, I can barely make cereal and peanut butter jelly sammiches so I can offer nothing here.
ReplyDeleteWill your mom-in-law adopt me? I like getting bags of $ for xmas. It doesn't ever happen, but I like it!
Oh, you got me all tumultous here.
ReplyDeleteFirst, my fear for you continuing to eat from teflon flakingness.
JUST STOP.
that stuff kills canaries.
Next..Sunny!! wanting something domestic for the holidays?
Please let it not be true.
NEXT: I like the new you of posting on all things lovely and good toward fellow man.
See, I told you, you got me all balled up on feelings.
Now I know how your husband felt.
Expect a tweeted proposal of marriage from me soon.
xo
Burn the shit out of everything you cook in it, silly! That is what I do.
ReplyDeleteA cast iron skillet is, sadly, on my xmas list too! Cause, I wouldn't ever just buy it for myself. And, I need someone to run my errands for me. You are so fucking right on that.
ReplyDeleteUm what? You can't wash with soap. Good luck. I mean, it'll be fine. Just fine.
ReplyDeleteYou can't use soap in a cast iron skillet?! No one ever told me that. Perhaps that's why everything I cook sticks to the bottom!
ReplyDeleteI freaking LOVE my cast iron frying pan. Love it. I could write poems about it. It's on my Top 10 Favourite things list. Seriously. Does that make me sad?
ReplyDeleteNo, no, no to soap. And don't feel freaked. If, after you've scrubbed it with your stiff brush and still don't feel good about it, you can put it on a burner and crank it up for a moment or two then brush it with oil while it's still warm.
What a rewarding gift. And if you don't kill it with detergents, it will only get better and better.
I'm not going to be of any help. My friend gave me a wok for my birthday because stir fry is the only thing I know how to make, and I returned it because it required that I put some vegetable oil on it before the first use and honestly do I look like I'm Julia Child? No.
ReplyDeleteCast iron rocks. I love my skillet. Don't worry about the no soap thing. I put my skillet on the burner after I wash it in hot water and put it on high to dry it. I've been using cast iron for years and I haven't died yet. I'm willing to bet you'll be okay.
ReplyDeleteNo soap, ever. (but if you accidentally use soap, rub the pan thoroughly with oil and bake it for a while in a hot oven). I use kosher salt, oil, and hot water in mine. After you've washed it, rub it down lightly with oil.
ReplyDeleteIt will end up completely non-stick, to the point where sometimes you'll just wipe it out with an oiled paper-towel instead of washing it at all.
No soap, ever. (but if you accidentally use soap, rub the pan thoroughly with oil and bake it for a while in a hot oven). I use kosher salt, oil, and hot water in mine. After you've washed it, rub it down lightly with oil.
ReplyDeleteIt will end up completely non-stick, to the point where sometimes you'll just wipe it out with an oiled paper-towel instead of washing it at all.
Yes, what karen said: heat it after rinsing it and it will kill all the germs. It freaks me out a little, too, but you get used to it.
ReplyDeleteYes. Salt and oil. This is what I use to clean mine. Also, sometimes I like to give it hugs when no ones looking because I love it so.
ReplyDeleteWhen my father died back ten years or so ago, the only thing I wanted from his estate was his set of seasoned iron skillets. My father was an amazing cook and he valued those pans like nothing else. He would darn near have a heart attack right on the spot if he ever caught anyone trying to toss them into a pan of sudsy water. Sheesh! It was a little odd to be coming home with just a bunch of old, blackened pans, but there you have it. I put them with my collection of seasoned stoneware and use at least one of them almost every day. And it's a good thing they're easy to clean because those bastards are fucking heavy!
ReplyDeletenice pimpin' of the christmas party, that's a good thing ya know!
ReplyDeletecast iron? no fucking clue. i don't cook.
Um, maybe the best way to keep it clean is to ORDER TAKEOUT. I would NEVER cook in that thing, even though I would secretly envy and almost hate anyone who did. The space for my inner Martha got all used up by the space for my inner Beeyatch :)
ReplyDeleteWhoa, how did I forget to ask for a cast iron skillet for Christmas??? Oh, how I want one. I am so jealous of you right now.
ReplyDeleteonce you season it - cornbread. please promise me you'll make cornbread. i don't own a skillet, and i am so dying for my mom's cornbread recipe that i can't stand it. allow me to live vicariously through your baking.
ReplyDeleteI'm really just hear to read the other comments because I know I'm not treating my skillet right. I have good knowledge now. I'm excited.
ReplyDeleteYour skillet, btw, is gorgeous. Happy cooking!
Gifts I have received that were totally and completely necessary and awesome but not gifts:
ReplyDeleteA vacuum cleaner
A washer and dryer
Another vacuum cleaner (yes)
Gifts I've received that my husband wanted me to have:
A food processor (never used)
A ski jacket (so I'd go willingly)
Apple TV (WTF? I still don't know what that is).
But I've never gotten a cast-iron skillet.
Maybe this is my year...
Well fuck me. I just cooked with my cast iron skillet tonight and washed it with soap and water. AS USUAL. Am I secretly killing my family doing this??!!?
ReplyDeleteVery, very hot water -- hot enough to kill any germs on it, and do that before & after you cook . . . that's the only way that I manage to clean mine.
ReplyDeleteAs far as "that's not a present," my wife asked for an entire cast-iron cooking set a few Christmases ago . . . I had to ask about a billion times, and consult the oracle, to see if my getting her pots & pans was walking into a trap.
i only use my cast iron skillets to bang people on the head.
ReplyDeletelisten up, i use my lodge (made in america) skillets ALL THE TIME. i switched years ago because i was afraid of cooking food in teflon for my kids. seriously.
ReplyDeletejust rinse it in really hot water (or soak it in water if stuff is stuck) and/or wipe it down with a paper towel. if you are afraid of germs, just heat it up after you wash it empty so that it gets hot.
i use pam cooking spray on mine too, so you can even cook eggs in it.
and i have occasionally used dishsoap on mine and then rinsed it off really good and recoated it with oil and it was fine.
You crack me up, girl. My husband is an amazing cook and seasoned his cast iron skillet himself- something he points out to me every time he uses it.
ReplyDeleteAnyway, DO NOT scour or wash it with soap. After using, fill halfway with water and put on stove to boil. This will remove all the stuff that scares you. Once you empty it out and it cools, pour in enough table salt to cover the bottom and using a paper towel gently rub salt around skillet to remove anything else that might remain. rinse out and air dry. This will not kill you and it makes for delicious food. Plus, it's a fine weapon.
I didn't know about the salt thing. What, is this stuff passed down by oral tradition? I have a cast iron pan, but I'm lazy, so unless I need it's browning/crisping power, I use nonstick. Laaazy.
ReplyDelete