Got them for $20, they both cook good. Here’s them complete.
Nicely done, dull man.
Test them for lead.
I didn’t think of that, I will have to look into that. These are from the era you would expect lead.
Metal salts are often water soluble, but a characteristic of lead salts is that they are especially water soluble. So heating up the pan with water should get rid of most of it. Boil water, pour it off, repeat a couple of times. If you’re worried, use acidic water - it’s going to mess up your pan but you’ve already proven that you know how to fix that, sir.
If you’re curious, you can test for lead by doing the following first. Use distilled water and instead of boiling it, heat it to about 70 C. Keep it there for a couple of minutes while stirring gently. That should get most of the lead, if there is any, into the aqueous phase, while leaving behind any other metal salts that could theoretically be present.
Pour off the water into a different container. Let it cool down.
Take a portion of it to a borosilicate vial and (carefully) add a few drops of HCl (hydrochloric acid). If a white precipitate is formed, it may indicate lead. Together with the fact that your cations were soluble in hot water, the evidence is quite strong.
If you really want to be sure and want to do some real cation analysis, this page has a flowchart which, if you follow it, will let you know which oxidative state your lead was in and therefore help you infer what anion you have. I’d skip that part unless you want to do it for the sake of whimsy.
Some people use these pans to melt and cast lead fishing weights and/or bullets.
Wild that we still put lead in bullets… Especially for hunters that then eat their kill.
It is, but it’s tough because it’s really an amazing metal for the job. Lead alloys are unbelievably good at transmitting the kenetic energy from one thing to another, especially at the price.
Feels a lot like how asbestos is genuinely amazing at its job. But, you know… mesothelioma.
Ah that explains it! No lead would survive the initial casting but using it for that after the fact makes sense.
They should have lead with that /s
That, and hobbyist bullet reloaders would use these to melt lead to cast into cheap bullets. Once you melt lead in the pan it will never be food safe again, I’d go as far as to drill a hole into the bottom so no one tries.
You scrubbed off the seasoning! /s
Apshh, there goes all the flavor.
This is some GOOD POSTING 🙌
!castiron@lemmy.world would love this
Remember, cast iron isn’t land fill, it is an heirloom.
One of my favorite things to do with a cast iron is to preheat it on the stove and also preheat the oven, sear a steak on one side, then flip the steak and put the pan into the oven.
Easier than butter basting, but not much of a step down in quality.
I assume you put some oil on the steak.
Also, times and temps?
Yeah, oil the pan with a neutral, high smoke point oil. Salt the steak, but don’t use pepper unless you like the bitter, acrid taste of burnt pepper. I usually go medium to medium high on the stove, but set the oven lower, like 300F. Another nice thing about cast iron is that it can handle really high temps without much issue, and it can hold that heat. So you’re searing that second side at probably like 400-450 while the other 5 sides are getting a more gentle cook. And while that heat transfers from pan to steak, it gradually comes down to that 300ish to end up being pretty even.
As for timing, it really depends on the thickness of the steak and your preference for doneness. I like a thick, medium rare ribeye best. Probably like 60-90 seconds on the first side, then flip and throw in the oven for like 3-5 minutes? When in doubt, temp your food. But it will probably rest up like 10 degrees, so keep that in mind.
This is why I’m fine with pulling my chicken out of the oven in the 155-160 range since I know it’ll cross the 165 it needs to be safe while it rests. If you wait for 165 before pulling it, it’s gonna hit like 175-180 and start drying out.
I’m usually aiming for around 140 internal.
With this method, you might try oiling the steak surface and not the pan. It lets you use less, and you didn’t have oil in the own getting super hot.
The steak sounds great and chicken breast, but for dark chicken I like to cook longer to break down more of the internal tissues, the meat pulls apart and it’s still moist. At least for me I go longer, especially skin-on pieces, the meat pulls away from the ends when it’s ready, like ribs do, and it’s sizzling good!
Using a temp probe for some things is nice to see how fast the temp is increasing. You can see the slope of the line, rate of temp change/minute and estimate when it will reach the target temperature, and how much it rises while resting, depending on weight and other factors. I want to try the steak now!
i promise i'm not [just] being an asshole, but cook it to internal meat temperature, not any specific time
I usually sous vide steaks. Amount for times and temps is a reflex.
I was mainly curious about the oven temp.
I mean it depends on the cut abs the thickness. I usually do a reverse sear on mine. Smoker/oven @ 225-275F until 125F, then give it a quick sear (1-2 minutes a side) on high direct heat. If it’s in the oven, use the broiler. If it’s on the smoker, open all the vents fully and pray there isn’t wind). A tri-tip takes maybe an hour and a half at 225F.
If you put a mess of elbow grease in and polish those smooth and reseaon them, you will be so satisfied.
Yeah I bought some 80 grit sand paper for removing the rust and some 1500 grit sandpaper for polishing. I also have a griddle that I didn’t get around to doing yet. I’m going to need a wire wheel for it but the nearest hardware store is a solid 30 minute drive from where I’m at.
I polished an 8” Lodge skillet a few years back and decided to work smarter. Took my random orbit 5” sander, taped some weight on the top palm rest, put on a 120 grit mesh, placed it in the pan and turned it on a low speed. It worked like a roomba hitting the sides and spinning over the pan. I needed more control as it was spiraling. I tied off the power cord to a nearby bench so the cord was fully taught at the far side of the pan. Now the sander could swing side to side without spinning. Whenever I was home I turned it on. Changed to a finer grit after the first 8 or so hours and again after another 8-10hrs.
All told that ran for 6 days, maybe 30 hours total. Got a finish as fine as my Griswold now.
My god that’s the kinda lazy I can get onboard with!
Pics?
Great thing about cast iron. As long as they’re not warped badly, they could be 200 years old and work absolutely fine.
Right now I have plain (uncoated) stainless steel skillets and pans… They’re lightweight, heat up quickly as they’re relatively small/thin. I clean them straight away with water and dish soap.
Does Cast Iron heat up quick? Is it easy to maintain after use?
What are the advantages?
Cast iron takes longer to heat up but maintains it heat much longer, I have a griddle that when hot enough to do pancakes, it will will still burn your hands after 45 minutes of heat being removed.
Cast iron when seasoned properly can be relatively maintance free for a while.
Cast iron can also be used on many surfaces then conventional pots and pans, in the image you see me cooking over a campfire. Cast iron is also heavy which means you don’t need to hold it when you turn something. Oh and don’t forget the fact that cast Iron can last longer then 200 years.
I personally like cast iron a lot.
New hand burning opportunities have just opened up near you! I wonder how old your cast iron is.
I one with the bacon could have bin made anywhere from 1924-36 it’s a Wagner Ware. I suspect the other one is also a wagner because the guy I got it from only had Wagner.
Cast iron is heavy, bulky and heats up, slowly. But I haven’t cooked on anything else in a very long time. The main benefits are non-destructableness, non-stickiness when seasoned well, and heat retention (e.g. when you dump a bunch of cold food on it).
Once they are seasoned properly maintenance is pretty much the same as with steel. They are not delicate flowers. Just don’t leave them in the sink or put them in the dishwasher. I rarely use soap on mine, but dish soap is just fine.
I actually tend to clean mine with oil and a paper towel. Most of the stuff that might stick to it tends to be fat/oil soluble. Dish soap doesn’t always get it.
You need to start looking for some Griswold. Lightest cast iron I’ve ever owned. Garage sales are your best bet for scoring them at a decent price. Any reseller knows what they’re worth and that ain’t cheap.
I’d say the heaviness is one of the reasons to use cast iron for the heat retention. If I wanted lightness then carbon steel is the way to go.
Griswolds retain slightly less heat, but also heat up quicker. My 10” weighs 3lb 12oz, the Lodge is 6lb 2oz. That makes a big difference if you use it to sauté. They are a true joy to cook with. If they weren’t a superior product you wouldn’t have to pay over $1,000 for some of their skillets.
Don’t pay a grand for cast iron it just makes you look like a sucker.
Thanks.
I remember the weight, I tried to pick one up when cooking with a friend. Way too heavy for my liking. As for being non-stick - with most pots and pans that’s a functional on heating before putting ingredients in.
Sometimes I worry about carbonization being carcinogenic (it is, but researchers say it’s okay occasionally). I wonder how much of the “seasoning” contributes to that equation.
I think I’ll stick with Stainless steel… Mostly because there’s less neck strain involved, and I like to cool my pans immediately after use. Ssssshhhhhzzzz into the water they go.
Seasoning isn’t carbonization. If that’s what’s in your pan you’re doing it wrong. (Not ‘you’, whomever) And in my experience, carbonization is what ruins the non stick.
Seasoning is polymerized oils.
As for weight, my main go to pan is 8.5 inches and plenty light enough for me. I also have a 12 inch pan that is a beast.
I have been cleaning my scorching hot cast iron pans under a running faucet for ten years. With a lodge brush. Big cloud of steam. I think that’s the fastest way to clean them. Then just a quick wipe with some oil.
I don’t know about the scientific backing, but if it’s black/brown and caused by heat - there’s gonna be a bunch of carbons involved. There’s no real way around that. Especially if it’s browning the food… So yeah… Carbon.
I mean we’re carbon base… Doesn’t necessarily mean it’s good for us.
Doing gods work
for all the children.
Nice!
