Easy Cast-Iron Skillet Seasoning

I have two cast-iron skillets: a 10″ and a 12″. I would have liked a 14″ instead of a 12″ but you get what you are given. Besides, it’s not the size but what you do with it that matters.

This reminds me of a joke. It’s the only joke I know, so be kind. Anyway, a man (stop me if you’ve heard this one) walks into a bar and sees a foot-tall man playing the piano. Unfazed, he walks up to the barkeep and orders a drink. He soon spots an old copper lamp on the bar counter and asks the barkeep about it. The barkeep replied that it is a magic lamp that grants anyone that rubs it one and only one wish. The man straightaway rubs the lamp and shouts, “I wish to have a million bucks!” Suddenly, the door bursts open and a lot of ducks begin flying in. The man got upset and shouted, “I said ‘bucks’ not ‘ducks’!” The barkeep looks at him and replied, “did you think I asked for a 12-inch pianist?”

Anyway, the point of having a smaller skillet is that cooking for one or two persons, you don’t need a large skillet; less to clean and maintain which can be a pain if you are rushed for time.

The two skillets I have are from Lodge, purchased from RazorSharp. If you need good quality Western cast-iron cookware, RazorSharp has a good selection (look for Jeffrey Goh; tell him Ivan the big guy sent you). Largest skillet they had was the 12″ and the price is a fraction of the famous French brand. In fact, I find the American range of products to be far cheaper than the French. For example, the excellent Mario Batali Dutch Ovens (again, I have two sizes) were more affordable when compared to the French brand. Besides, the Mario Batali Dutch Ovens tend to get good reviews.

Back to skillets. Although the Lodge comes “pre-seasoned”, don’t expect a non-stick surface; you need to use plenty of oil first. The pre-seasoning just means that there is a small layer of coating on it to help prevent rusting. As a true-bred Singaporean, my natural instinct is to add another layer of coating just in case.

The Lodge website provides a good tutorial on how to care and season their products. But seriously, not everyone has an oven, much less one that can fit a 12″ skillet in. So, here’s an alternative way to season your cast-iron for the first time. The objective here is to give the skillet a thin layer of oil that covers every nook and cranny (cast-iron skillets do not have a smooth surface).

For this, you simply need Schmaltz or more commonly known as Animal Shortening. It’s quite hard to find now, but I managed to grab a tub (to rub a dub dub) at the Swiss Butchery. An alternative is Vegetable Shortening like Crisco which is available at all good provision shops or supermarkets, basically what you want is a semi-solid fat (butter is ok but expensive though) to rub around. About 1-2 tablespoons is enough depending on your (har!) size.

You may use liquid fat, i.e. oil (an edible one please) such as peanut oil or for you rich folks, olive oil. It takes a little more effort but the end result is the same.

First, you need to wash your skillet in detergent and warm water. This is the first and last time you use a scrub on it. Give it a good wash because you have no idea how long its been sitting on the shelf.

After washing, wipe it down bone-dry. And without fear or favor, spoon a generous dollop of Schmaltz on the skillet. I used about 1 generous tablespoon for the 10″ and about 1.5 tablespoons for the 12″.

There’s no need to worry about the quantity, the cast-iron skillet is not health-conscious. And no, you won’t be eating the Schmaltz once it’s “baked” in.

Now it’s time to spread the love. I use a sponge because it gives better control but you can use whatever tickles your fancy.

Proceed to coat all surface areas of the skillet. Make sure you rub the Animal Shortening into the surfaces and don’t forget the outsides, base and handles (mine has two itty-bitty ones).

As the effort of rubbing starts warming up the Schmaltz, a really wonderful fragrance of freshly baked pies start to emerge. This is the secret to having pies that smell wonderful; old-school bakers tend to rub pie crusts with Schmaltz or Animal Shortening. Vegetable shortening just doesn’t have that depth of aroma or flavour.

Be careful as you start swooning from the lovely aroma, this is because you will be tempted to lick the skillet. Not a good thing to do.

Once you’ve gotten everything coated and recovered from swooning, place the skillet on your stove and heat on a high flame. As this is a cast-iron skillet, do remember to either wear thick kitchen mitts or use thick and dry towels to handle it. Remember to turn on all your ventilation fans and open the windows.

Let the Schmaltz melt, swirl around to coat the skillet. You can drain any excess Schmaltz into a metal can. You should turn over the skillet to let the flame “bake” the cooking surface.

Once everything is dried out by the flames, your cast-iron skillet will get a slightly brownish patina. This is a good thing. It means your cast-iron skillet has been “seasoned” and is now ready for use.

Of course, don’t expect a non-stick surface immediately. It takes time to build that up but this is a good first step. And May The Schmaltz Be With You.

Anyway, I let the skillets rest for 30 minutes and tested them out by frying a Chorizo without adding any oil. This is ok because Chorizos are fatty and after the skins crack, the oil flows out. The point here is that you should try cooking with fatty foods or use a little more oil in the beginning.

After the first cooking, I cleaned the skillets with warm water and a little detergent and finished off, once the skillets are dry, by rubbing a little Olive oil on them. Remember to get all the sides.

Here’s a tip my dad used: if you want to build up the non-stick coating fast, don’t wash the skillet at all. Wipe it down with a dry cloth (remove the burnt crust if any) after the skillet has cooled enough for you to handle and immediately rub the Olive oil in. The main objective is to build up layers and layers of non-stick coating with fat. On his days off, dad would sit down and start rubbing oil (he used any cooking oil) in all our skillets, and woks. He’ll let them dry out and start over again. It takes time and dedication, but the end-result is worth it.

Cast-iron cookware, especially the ones without the enamel coating, is a seriously difficult to care and maintain. They are heavy, brittle and fragile. This is why you rarely see them in professional kitchens. However, for a home, it is a wonderful thing to use because of its even heating and with care, it can become a heirloom. My friend Jeremy has a Lodge cast-iron skillet which he has owned for 30 years. Dinner parties have been cooked at his home with this one skillet.