Author Topic: Emergency! What to do with a cast iron skillet that was washed by mistake? (Read 2977 times)

Neil Obstat · « **Reply #15 on:** March 28, 2014, 05:09:29 PM »

Quote from: holysoulsacademy

SOAP IS MADE FROM OIL.

Reflecting on this observation, it might be obvious to you and me that's conclusive.

However, to someone with an emotional attachment to his cast iron skillet and to the proper care and feeding of his beloved pet pan, the distinction between oil for seasoning the iron and soap that's made from the oil, is tantamount to rubbing shredded coconut into your hair, calling it "my conditioner," or putting a potato into a glass of orange juice, calling it "my screwdriver."

Know what I mean?

If you don't know what I mean, then read Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance, a work of philosophical fiction by Robert M. Pirsig. You won't be disappointed.

.

parentsfortruth · « **Reply #16 on:** March 28, 2014, 06:01:26 PM »

Quote from: holysoulsacademy

SOAP IS MADE FROM OIL.

THIS!

parentsfortruth · « **Reply #17 on:** March 28, 2014, 06:05:22 PM »

Quote from: Neil Obstat

Quote from: holysoulsacademy

SOAP IS MADE FROM OIL.

Reflecting on this observation, it might be obvious to you and me that's conclusive.

However, to someone with an emotional attachment to his cast iron skillet and to the proper care and feeding of his beloved pet pan, the distinction between oil for seasoning the iron and soap that's made from the oil, is tantamount to rubbing shredded coconut into your hair, calling it "my conditioner," or putting a potato into a glass of orange juice, calling it "my screwdriver."

Know what I mean?

If you don't know what I mean, then read Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance, a work of philosophical fiction by Robert M. Pirsig. You won't be disappointed.

.

My sides!

Can't... stop... laughing! :roll-laugh1:

Nadir · « **Reply #18 on:** March 28, 2014, 06:21:33 PM »

Neil, you really do shine in this thread! Take a bow! I've taken mine for saying "overdramatic"!

Who would have thought we could have such fun out another's misery? Shame on us!

moneil · « **Reply #19 on:** March 29, 2014, 12:40:05 AM »

Quote from: Neil Obstat

Quote from: moneil
Quote from: PerEvangelicaDicta
Neil O, I'm of the camp that never uses soap to preserve the seasoning and flavor when cooking, but some do, as noted here, so if your friend just re-seasons the pan, no harm no foul.

Mathieu, one can always find excellent information at The Art of Manliness.

I generally don't use soap if I can avoid it. Usually wiping the pan with a damp cloth or paper towel before things dry on works. Or, I'll bring some water to nearly a boil i the pan then using a spoon, scrape the dried-on portions off, and whisk a wash cloth around it. As has been said, a pan can always be re-seasoned. I had a room mate put one of my cast iron skillets through the dishwasher once. It didn't take long to get it back into shape.

Also, referring to previous comments, I doubt much soap "gets into the pores". Vinegar is not a bad idea though. I've heard that restaurants will sometimes strip their grill with vinegar or a commercial solution, then re-season it.

Sorry for the double quotes. I forgot to say this:

Scraping off baked-on carbon from cast iron cookware is a lot of work. What's a mother to do? If you had baked-on carbon in your oven would you scrape it off with a spoon???

Has anyone here ever used OVEN CLEANER on a badly burned cast iron skillet?

That would be the coup-de-gras for 'worse-than-soap' seeping into pores. Oven cleaner is top dog when it comes to SEEPING IN to everything it touches. It even removes paint. IOW don't use it on your car. Maybe your NEIGHBOR'S car. HAHAHAHAHA

I'd love to hear what y'all have to say about oven cleaner on cast iron skillets.

.

Well I've never tried oven cleaner

doubt I will. What I was refering to was situations where I made a tomato sauce or fried hamburger and didn't wipe the pan out directly, so some residue dried on the surface. That scrapes off pretty easily, especially if one heats the pan up.

Neil Obstat · « **Reply #20 on:** March 29, 2014, 04:47:36 AM »

Quote from: Nadir

Neil, you really do shine in this thread! Take a bow! I've taken mine for saying "overdramatic"!

Who would have thought we could have such fun out another's misery? Shame on us!

Thank you, Nadir. I was having fun. I guess it shows.

I have another story. Hold on.

A friend of mine told me that he went to Bob's Big Boy hamburger joint one day about 40 years ago (not that he carries a grudge or anything!) and he ordered a cheeseburger. Well, usually he just chomps into it like a maniac, but this time, for some reason he can't recall (it's been what, 4 decades? - so cut him some slack!), he opened it by lifting the top bun, and he couldn't believe his eyes. The square cheese slice was melted into the burger patty as one might expect, but here, in the center of the cheese, was A SQUARE HOLE.

They had cut the cheese (no pun intended) diagonally like an X, then cut it again like a +, making 8 triangles, and had put 4 of them on HIS burger (half a slice of cheese!) and had used the other 4 on SOMEONE ELSE'S BURGER. On the outside, it looked like the 4 corners of a slice of cheese, but INSIDE, there was a big square missing, because that was cheese they had arranged on another burger to look like a full square slice of cheese (even though it was only half a slice, in 4 points).

He was SO ANGRY, that he POUNDED his fist on the bar and demanded to see the manager. He shouted his complaint, and the whole restaurant stopped and looked at him. They called security in. He was so upset about this square hole in his burger cheese that he wanted the whole world to know about it. He said the service bar waiter had NOTHING to say to him. And the manager was not very helpful either. Two security guards came in and they were about to haul him out of there, when he settled down. They gave him a whole additional slice of cheese. He ate his burger. But he never went back again.

I told him he should have gone in there every day for a week, going from table to table, quietly telling them to check their cheeseburgers for incomplete cheese slices.

I asked him if he perhaps had overreacted. He said, "Maybe I did, but in those days, Americans expected to get what they paid for."

.

Nadir · « **Reply #21 on:** March 29, 2014, 06:00:41 AM »

That's a truly great story Neil! It was very clever of them you must admit. If ever I buy a cheeseburger (I never have in 68 years) I'm going to lift the lid.