My new cast iron skillet

14 years ago

Well last night I decided to make rib eye steaks in my new cast iron skillet, searing them on each side and finishing off in a very hot oven. Linda thanks for walking me thru it.

The smoke was incredible. The smoke alarms with the recorded lady's voice yelling FIRE! FIRE! was also incredible.

I opened all the windows and doors to let the smoke out but the alarms kept going off. It was awful! Ear piercing.

I could handle it though, until we looked down and there was a stray dog standing in the middle of our kitchen.

Never saw this dog before in my life. Have no idea where he came from.

My dog went crazy! He was wild, snarling, barking, growling........ I had to take him into the bedroom. My husband and son ushered this stray dog out of the house. Then we shut all the doors.

As we were laying in bed, suddenly I thought; what if there was a reward for that dog and we threw him out? hahah!!!!!

That was my first experience cooking with cast iron.

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Comments (26)

lindac
14 years ago
I TOLD you to be sure you had a big fan!!!!
annie1992
14 years ago
Oh shaun, I'm sorry but I'm laughing. I wonder where the heck the dog came from?

I often sear my steaks in a blazing hot cast iron skillet, but I don't have to finish in the oven because I like it really rare, I don't suppose that would work for you.

Poor Ricky, he probably was just as surprised as you were to find a new dog in HIS house!

So, how was the steak?

Annie
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All is not lost. Seasoning is an ongoing process, and whatever (minimal) seasoning the Lodge folks applied to your skillet will soon be supplanted by your own efforts. FWIW, here's how I clean cast iron that needs some scouring: use coarse salt and paper towels, with just a little bit of water if needed, to loosen up the stuck on stuff. Then rinse the pan with hot water, dry it with another paper towel, put it back on the stove a few minutes to drive off any remaining water, and then while it's still warm apply a thin coat of oil. The cast iron guru in this forum is Dan ('danab'); I've learned a lot of info from his posts. Some of his previous threads are linked to in this recent thread about cast iron and soap. Here is a link that might be useful: cast iron and soap
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The only way you will get sticky is if a small puddle of oil is left in the pan. DH used to do that. He would heat the pan on the stove after rinsing to dry the water quickly, then add a dollop of oil, wipe with p-towel, but too much oil was left in the pan. (he thought more was better). If you want to season that way, it goes in the oven upside down on a sheet pan so the extra oil, very liquid when heated, will drain off the surface. Then wipe thoroughly with a towel to remove all extra oil. If you have a sticky surface it needs to be cleaned off with a mild soap and soft scrubbie. Not vigorously, just enough to get the sticky oil off, then heat on the stove and add a tiny tsp of iol and wipe down and do the oven heating.
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shaun
Original Author
14 years ago
Linda we DID use the big fan!! You mean bigger than this one? hahahah!!!

Annie, we laughed too, .... when it was over.

The steaks were wonderful! But I think I'll stick to grilling them. It's much less stressful for Ricky. When the smoke alarms went off, he ran into the laundry room and stood there shivering like a fool. THEN that ransom dog showed up and that really put Ricky over the edge! hahahah!
mustangs81
14 years ago
That is too funny!!! Sounds like you need fire drill practice and include Ricky.

I hope the new skillet survived.
annie1992
14 years ago
Poor Ricky, I hope he got steak for supper after all that!

See, you can stick to grilling steak, but if it's 20 below zero here, my steak is going in the cast iron pan!

Annie
shaun
Original Author
14 years ago
Cathy the skillet did perfectly fine! Cleaned up real easy. No blow torch or power tools needed at all.

Annie, yep Ricky got some steak too! OH man if it was 20 below I wouldnt be grilling anything either girl.
partst
14 years ago
So sorry shaun but I havenÂt laughed that hard in a long time IÂm glad your dinner was ok but for the sake of poor Ricky stick to the outside grill.

Claudia
skeip
14 years ago
Priceless!! Next time sear the steaks,and put in a moderate oven, no hotter than 350 degrees F. Once they're seared all you need to do is roast them to the desired temp. Should eliminate most of the smoking.
woodie
14 years ago
Did all the noise or commotion or growling dog scare the frogs off of your screens?
sheesh
14 years ago
Great story!

Sherry
eandhl
14 years ago
With all the commotion that steak must have smelled delicious for the stray to come in.
lakeguy35
14 years ago
Reminds me of the first time I did the high heat roasting thing. DS forgot to clean her oven and we had smoke, alarms going off and the neighbors LOL at us while we were faning the smoke out the front door.

David
doucanoe
14 years ago
OMG...that is funnier than crap! Especially the strange dog part!

Up until then I was hoping you had a cordless drill...sounded like you might need it.

Liunda
wizardnm
14 years ago
LOL Shaun! Maybe that stray dog was a rescue dog, not a ransom dog... there to save your lives.

Woodie, I caught that! good one!

Nancy
User
14 years ago
Food for the gods.........burnt offerings.

What a great story.
jessyf
14 years ago
LOL Woodie!
althetrainer
14 years ago
Sorry for the smoking experience but it's so funny that I had to laugh! You might not like the smoke but obviously the stray dog did! If you want the dog back for the reward, all you have to do is to bring out your cast iron skillet and try it again! LOL Sorry, can't help it! Great story! Al
partst
14 years ago
DH wants to know where you got a talking smoke alarm never heard of one talking ours just beeps loudly.

Claudia
compumom
14 years ago
Too funny, but poor Ricky!
jimster
14 years ago
Is the woman in your smoke alarm the same bossy one who is in our GPS? Amid the circumstances you describe her directions would have driven me over the edge.

Jim
shaun
Original Author
14 years ago
Hahaha glad you all got a laugh, we did too.

Claudia, these smoke alarms came with our house. It squeals like smoke alarms do and then a woman's voice yells out, FIRE!! FIRE!! It's hilarious. Especially when there is no fire.

I still can't believe a stray dog was in my house.
vacuumfreak
14 years ago
Shaun, that is a funny story! Man, if you'd had a hidden camera rolling in the background during all that chaos!

What made it smoke so bad anyway? I've never had my own cast iron, and now I'm scared to get some!

My smoke alarm goes off every time I boil water, so I have the silly thing unplugged. The last time I tired to use the convection microwave on the convection setting without cleaning all the microwave splatters first, you should seen all the smoke. No fun indeed!

That sure is a monster fan! Glad Ricky is OK... Hows the orange kitty doing, by the way?
beanthere_dunthat
14 years ago
Was the dog a Dalmation? Did he have on a tiny fireman's hat?

He thought he was helping. LOL!
coconut_nj
14 years ago
Omg, Shaun, I don't think I should laugh so hard before going to bed. I think it woke me up again....lol. That's quite a story. That dog didn't want to miss out on all the action... and steak smells besides.. doggie nirvana.

I never have anything like that when I use all my cast iron pans for searing. I did have to finally buy one of those smoke detectors that don't go off just because of a little extra heat or steam, made for kitchens. Yours would have gone off anyway..lol. Fire..Fire....lol.. and I can just see that dog looking around like...what's goin on? A new classic.
caliloo
14 years ago
OMG! I have no idea how I missed this the first time around - HILARIOUS!!!!!!! I can't even imagine turning around to find a stray dog in the house in the middle of all the smoke and commotion LOLOLOLOLOLOL!

Toooooo Funny!

Alexa
mustangs81
14 years ago
Love the fan!
We have one like that; we haul it around (even had it loaded on the plane) for our Mustangs during the summer season. We call her Sally, our biggest fan!

My new cast iron skillet

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