Cast Iron Chefs: DOGs

[magnusfide]

As things are starting happen again, are there any Dutch Oven Gatherings you have plans on attending?

[magnusfide]

wopachop wrote:
Wish i could go back in time and ask my grandpa if he has any old cast iron laying around. Is it true the new stuff just aint the same? Or is the older stuff just better because of all the years of seasoning?

Yes and no. The newer is definitely different in some aspects. The older seems smoother simply because it's had a lot of usage through the years or the previous owner smoothed it with sanding/grinding.

I have a lot of Lodge, Wagner, Griswold, Camp Chef, Bayou Classic Jambalaya pots and even some of the very new American made high-end pieces. I keep them all seasoned. I only take the Lodge and the Camp Chef with me to DOGs; only rarely I'll take the Jambalaya pots but those are for huge gatherings of family.

Paul Simon says there's 50 ways to leave your lover; well I say there's 50 ways to clean and season cast iron. Some will swear there's only one way to do it. There isn't, there are other ways too.

One rule to remember that doesn't change is this - don't subject your hot cast iron to a sudden change in temperature or it will crack. Let it cool to room temp before washing. Don't put a freezing cold pot or pan on a fire or heat source.

My other rule is don't use your cast iron to hammer nails or stakes. Bad idea.

The newer Lodge pieces seem to have a rough surface but a grinder with a very fine wheel on it will smooth it out quickly.

If you want to learn about cast iron care there are a number of youtube vids on it. If you want to smooth the surface of your cast iron to make it more nonstick, here's a video on using sandpaper and grinders. Season the piece well after smoothing.
Kent Rollins Video of Smoothing Cast Iron

PDF of the above video

[propchef]

wopachop wrote:
Wish i could go back in time and ask my grandpa if he has any old cast iron laying around. Is it true the new stuff just aint the same? Or is the older stuff just better because of all the years of seasoning?

We have antique Griswold and Wagner pans, skillets, and muffin pans (makes 11, not 12 muffins!) as well as every "new" piece made by Lodge and many by Le Cruiset.

There are tons of myths surrounding cast iron, things like you can't use soap (you can) and you can't scrub with hot water (again, yes you can). The critical thing is to DRY the pan over medium or low heat. No need to wipe with oil if it's been completely dried.

Seasoning is the result of cooking and the polymerization of oils/lipids (Too Much Info). Cast iron is porous and absorbs oil. Heat changes the oil and it fills the spaces in the iron, solidifying. It can't be scrubbed out, only very high heat can take out the seasoning.

New cast iron comes pre-seasoned and sometimes the old pieces haven't been cared for, but I use pans that are more than 100 years old and some that are less than a year old, they all work great.

[wopachop]

Wish i could go back in time and ask my grandpa if he has any old cast iron laying around. Is it true the new stuff just aint the same? Or is the older stuff just better because of all the years of seasoning?

[magnusfide]

Diamond c wrote:
I’ve never been to one of these. Where would I find out about such things?

When you search the internet, input "Dutch Oven Gatherings". There are a number of websites that pop up.

I'm looking for DOGs that may not have been listed yet.

[Diamond_c]

I’ve never been to one of these. Where would I find out about such things?