Cooking with Cast Iron

[AaronM]

I have a firepit, but it seems like a bit of work to start a fire when it's already 90+ degrees outside, though this week has been decent. Interesting salting technique from Kenji, I'll have to try that sometime. Also, I think I'll give the olive oil pump spray a try, and do some research on oils with high smoking points, which may help as well. I think part of my problem may have been having the oven at 500 degrees, which will probably make just about any cooking oil smoke.

I'm hungry for a ribeye now...

[bugbomb]

Salting in advance is KEY. You don't have to dry age the sucker, but your options are:

1. Salt it >45 minutes before cooking
2. Salt it 1.73 seconds before it hits the heat

Salt draws moisture to the surface of the steak. If you don't give this surface "sweat" time to evaporate your steak won't sear and crust properly.

Avocado oil has a pretty high smoke point, >500F according to The Google.

[bugbomb]

But yeah, I live in the same town as you so I sympathize with the weather. I never cook steaks inside. Tried it once or twice, never worth the hassle/mess.

[tersh]

I found an old machined pan, stripped down almost to the bare metal, at Goodwill today. Only 8", but 8" is plenty big enough to be useful.
Neat to see the tool path in the pan surface. I did a quick hand-sand with 220 to remove residual seasoning, and really smooth it out.

Just took it out of the oven after first super thin coat of flaxseed oil. Quite nice, even grey.
Additional layers will have to wait until tomorrow, but I feel like it's a good start.

[Idlehands]

I like doing shredded hash browns in my cast iron. Been trying to get it nice and seasoned. I have no idea what I'm doing but it feels bad ass.