My new 10-inch cast iron pan.
I bought a new cast iron pan today, a 10-inch deal small enough to make cute little loaves of Irish soda bread. I do this in honor of St. Patrick’s Day, a holiday I honor in memory of my VERY Irish grandmother, Kathleen Conant (maiden name McGrath) who left this world two years ago but remains with me in spirit as strongly as ever.
As I seasoned the new pan this afternoon, I thought about tradition and ritual. Grandma Kat was a Catholic, and one of the things I love most about Catholicism is its rich legacy of rituals. In a way, seasoning a cast iron pan is a secular ritual, one of those time-honored things that women have been doing for generations in my family, a way to connect me to the past.
Basically, cast iron pans are like relationships, too. You can’t expect them to be perfect right out of the box. The pans get their character, their nonstick surface, in time, requiring a little bit of tender loving care and preparation. In a plug-it-in-and-nuke-it microwaveable world, the old-fashioned charm of the cast iron pan is often lost. Please note: As more and more studies decry the dangers of teflon, I’m moving toward using cast iron instead. As the cowboy often says, some traditional practices were perfect as they were and don’t need improving; the cast iron pan is a perfect example.
To season your cast iron pan, use a paper towel or cloth to coat it with cooking oil. Then bake it in a 350 degree oven for an hour. That’s it. Not a big deal, right?
I guess I can tend toward the dramatic, seeing connections where none really are. That’s how writers are. But today, as I greased up the new pan and wiped it down, I felt my grandma there, looking over my shoulder with a smile.
Now, onward! Let’s make some soda bread. I’ll post pics and recipe in a bit.
Tagged: season a cast iron pan, st. patrick's day
And now…..how to clean a cast iron pan…….never use soap! Period! I use salt!!!!! Pour in a good amount of salt and let it sit for a few minutes…then use a paper towel to remove the salt! If you must rinse, use just a tad of water to swirl around in the pan, then dry the pan well. I sit my on the stove with a low flame to dry, then pour in a bit of oil and another paper towel swip to distribute and BINGO! I only use my pan to fry, or to bake something. Never do I use any acid based food and refrain from liquids as well. These pans will serve you well for years to come! Just use them correctly!!!!
Right you are, Nanny! Salt and a paper towel.
For cleaning, I’ve taken to rinsing mine in hot water, then drying and coating with layer of coconut oil. Coconut oil is a good vegan alternative. If you use it for seasoning you’ll probably have to go through the process twice for it to season completely.