cast iron skillet

>>9068457
If it's black and shiny and doesn't feel sticky at all then you don't need to season it.

If it's sticky, rusty, or has bits of food stuck to it then you need to clean and season it.

>>Any personal care tips you guys got for a cast iron skillet?
It's really simple. Just don't stick it in the dishwasher or let it soak in soapy water. That's really all there is to it.

>>9068457
Just give it a nice long soak in soapy water after every use, go to keep it clean.

this should ironpill you on the basics

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KLGSLCaksdY

>>9068475

It's actually black and has a little shine with a dull look, as I said. So I suppose that's good as seasoned? No stickiness to it and can't find any residue of food.

>>9068554

this looks useful, thanks

>>9068576
No rust, food, or stickiness? It's good to go.

>>9068585

Neat, hoping to make some good steak tonight. Sadly I don't' have an oven so I can't do that pan sear then put into the over kind that I see a lot on the net.

Thanks, anon.

I keep fucking up and reseasoning my skillet
what the fuck am I doing wrong

I heat it, oil it, heat it again and that's it.

when I cook with it I clean up using only water and a brush, sometimes salt to help remove burnt-on shit.

when I do that, though, the pan dries and it appears there is no longer any seasoning (the metal is smooth and not sticky, but no longer dark and doesn't seem shiny.

>>9068683
Provide more information:
1) what oil
2) what temp
3) how long

>>9068604
>Sadly I don't' have an oven so I can't do that pan sear then put into the over kind that I see a lot on the net.

Instead you can leave the steak in the skillet, just lower the heat after you've gotten the sear.

The reason why restaurants stick it in the oven is to free up much-needed space on the range. You can do an equally good job just by lowering the heat and leaving it in the skillet.

>>9068689
1) I've tried a variety of oils and fats, but all just cooking-grade stuff. Most recently straight bacon fat, and before that just sunflower oil.

2 & 3) when I'm attempting to season as opposed to cook, I heat it to smoking-hot, remove it from the heat and apply whatever I'm using to season, let it cool completely, then heat it again and let it cool

>>9068754

Reasonably sure you have that backwards.

Lightly oil every surface of the pan, maybe after you warm it up a bit so the oil seeps into the pores, then blast it past the smoke point (IN THE OVEN, you get a more even heat that way - say about 450) and hold it there for like 45 minutes to an hour so the oil polymerizes. Reapply oil, repeat.

Your house is going to get smoky and smell awful, but it works.

>>9068893
This.

1) temp needs to be above the oil's smoke point.
2) it needs to "cook" for long enough for polymerization to occur.

>>9068893
>>9068899
thanks m8s, I was afraid that getting the oiled pan to smoking hot indicated I was fucking up the oil, this is a huge help

>>9068910

Technically you ARE fucking up the oil, which is precisely what you're aiming for.

>>9068917
well that's good to know, and explains why none of my seasonings would stay

>>9068981
Did you salt the fucker first?

>>9068695
can i flip it at this phase?

>>9069075
Sure. If I don't have an oven available what I do is:
-sear the first side.
flip
-sear the 2nd side.
flip again. Lower the heat. continue cooking, flipping every couple of minutes, until the steak is cooked to my desired level of doneness.

If you're cooking a thin steak then it will be done very quickly. It will take longer if you are cooking a thicker steak.

File: 1203345_prkbuttstek.jpg (30KB, 520x312px) Image search: [Google]

30KB, 520x312px

>>9069107

This was helpful, thanks.

Does it matter what cut I use? I'm using this one in particular. For the longest while, my supermarket calls it "pork steak" but looking at google, it seems it's called a "Boston butt"

>>9069598
>Does it matter what cut I use?

As far as technique goes? No. Same technique for any cut. But different cuts have different levels of tenderness.

A "pork steak" could be any of a number of different things. Likewise a "beef steak" could be a T-bone, a ribeye, a fillet, NY strip, Porterhouse, etc.

"Boston butt" is also known as shoulder. Expect it to be flavorful, and be very careful not to overcook it. Pork has a fine line between being properly cooked and being tough as an old leather boot.

>>9069598
That cut is a slice from a shoulder so it's fairly tough. You can cook it on high heat (I usually grill over direct heat) but it gets tender because I generally marinate it in a Thai marinade with lime juice as an acid and mirin to help start breaking it down prior to cooking. As another anon said, don't overcook. Not over 145F internal.

>>9068917
>>9068899
>>9068893
literally just got a perfect seasoning on my first try after this advice, it had been fucking months of half-assed attempts and shitty youtube videos every time I wanted to cook something on my skillet.

thanks /ck/

>>9070073

now use that beauty up, anon

>>9070073
The trick is to use what seems like literally no oil. Rub it in and then basically all off. Repeat as necessary until it's ready. Many super light coats has been the game changer for me over the years