I may never grill steak again.

[Kluge]

I went to Wegmans for the first time yesterday and they had an incredibly impressive high-end butcher shop. They had every beef cut you could think of available in both choice and prime. They also had several Wagyu cuts available for around $60/pound. I never knew raw steak could look that good! They also dry age all of their prime beef and have a window that you can look in to see it ageing. If you live near a Wegmans go check it out.

I just got a couple choice T-bones. I think I may go back and get a prime rib roast soon.

Wegman's is amazing. One thing I miss about Erie is that we had two (2!) Wegman's in town.

 

[Eagles' Wings]

For centuries cast iron has been seasoned with bacon grease or lard, is there some unknown to me reason to use "partially hydrogenated" vegetable oils?

This is what I use. Just bought 5# of pork fat from a vendor at the farm market and it is delicious, with bits of meat. I believe all oils except, butter, lard, ghee and coconut oil become unheathly when heated.

 

[anaconda]

with a kick of flaxseed oil to boost the omega 3s (ok!! but not great..)

It is my layman's understanding that the type of Omega 3 in flaxseed (ALA) must be converted to DHA and EPA to be of any use, and this conversion is miniscule. Avocado oil has a dubious 13:1 Omega 6:3 ratio. I was fascinated to see that avocado oil has the highest smoke point of any oil listed. I bought some macadamia nut oil a while back and did not like it. But the bottle might have been rancid. I wasn't sure since it was my first time trying it. I will buy another brand and see if I have a better experience.

http://theconsciouslife.com/omega-3-6-9-ratio-cooking-oils.htm

 

[Cowlesy]

Check out this Wagyu.

I can't even describe what it tasted like.

 

[bwlibertyman]

Massie grows wagyu. I've never had it to my knowledge. I will definitely try some sometime.

 

[Cowlesy]

Massie grows wagyu. I've never had it to my knowledge. I will definitely try some sometime.

It's hard to describe the taste. It's really rich in flavor given the marbling. Generally when you do a ribeye (in the fashion I described in post #1) you get juice to pour on it. You won't with sirloins, strips or filets usually. But this bad-boy had tons of juice. I had to finish the whole damned thing because I thought it'd be a travesty to make sandwiches with it, or reheat it. Even where you see the fairly thick marbling, it all deconstructed to absolutely not-chewy, not-rubbery once cooked using the method I do. It was like natural butter within the steak.

 

[Cowlesy]

And just a recommendation on steak seasoning. I use Pensey's Chicago Style steak seasoning, a TON of it. I mean I really coat the first pan-side part of the steak, and then make a nice layer on the side that's up while the other side sears. Intuitively, you think "this is way too much", but it just crusts on the outside, and afterward, you don't have to do any seasoning. And it tastes better than a restaurant steak.

 

[Eagles' Wings]

It's hard to describe the taste. It's really rich in flavor given the marbling. Generally when you do a ribeye (in the fashion I described in post #1) you get juice to pour on it. You won't with sirloins, strips or filets usually. But this bad-boy had tons of juice. I had to finish the whole damned thing because I thought it'd be a travesty to make sandwiches with it, or reheat it. Even where you see the fairly thick marbling, it all deconstructed to absolutely not-chewy, not-rubbery once cooked using the method I do. It was like natural butter within the steak.

This looks like the cut of meat we like, with the marbling and yet tender. Is it expensive and where did you buy it? The wagyu looks magnificent in pictures.

 

[Cowlesy]

This looks like the cut of meat we like, with the marbling and yet tender. Is it expensive and where did you buy it? The wagyu looks magnificent in pictures.

Bought it from Ceriello Fine Foods in Grand Central Market in Manhattan. It was pretty pricey; definitely just a special occasion thing for me.

 

[phill4paul]

I can attest that lamb chops are damn good with this method. Oven at 400 though.

 

[Tudo]

They take food real serious in La

I lived in Metaire, a suburb of NO when I worked at Blanchard 20 something years ago. A place on metaire road called Dixie Chicken and Ribs made the most tender flavorful ribs I ever had. I learned how they did that and told my friends in Texas that if they wanted to learn how to do ribs properly they would need to travel to Loooooooosiana to do so hahaha.

I was born and raised 30 miles outside of NYC and lived in the city for years. NO is definitely among the food places in the world to go to if you're really into it, I rank it right up there with NYC but much smaller. Hong Kong I rate #1, NYC #2 in that regard. In Hong Kong the saying is " we eat to live and live to eat" and they mean it.

 

[phill4paul]

Bumping for the filets which are about to be seared. I'm loving the local farmers market. . Nom nom nom.............

 

[phill4paul]

Hmmm. Something different. A reverse sear. Might have to give it a try next time I fix steak.

 

[specsaregood]

Hmmm. Something different. A reverse sear. Might have to give it a try next time I fix steak.

Did he not take the time to render the fat on the sides? Half the time I spend on the cast iron is cooking that delicious fat on the sides.

 

[fisharmor]

How to turn a Lodge pan into a Griswold & Erie pan for under $20:
http://www.harborfreight.com/4-12-i...zIjoiOS45OSIsInByb2R1Y3RfaWQi OiI5MDQ4In0=

HOWEVER, make SURE you use a flap disc or other flexible tool:
http://www.harborfreight.com/4-12-in-120-grit-flap-disc-69604.html
And make SURE you don't use a heavy grit, and make SURE you don't dawdle when you're sanding it out. Grinders spin at around 10,000 RPM so if you hold it on the pan for more than a fraction of a second it's going to dig a divot into it. Thus the fine grit and floppy grinding surface: it minimizes that possibility. Keep it fine floppy grit and keep it in motion.

Also, angle grinders feed on human flesh. Earlier in the thread there was mention of men taking up hobbies that cause controlled bleeding.... well, grinder injuries are borderline. The kind of thing where you're putting direct pressure on it, and it doesn't hurt, and you're thinking you'll just superglue it back together, and then you look at it and yeah, maybe stitches are a good idea.

Anyway, back OT... you could do the same thing with sandpaper and a totally worn out brachialis muscle. A flexible back drill-mounted abrasive would work too, and be somewhere in between the angle grinder and hand work for speed. I personally hate grinding with a drill because a minute into it I start thinking "I'd be done by now if this was an angle grinder".

The trick is not to get it TOO fine. What I'd shoot for is to just knock down some of the high spots in the pan - scrape off the uppermost 1/32" or so. Leave some deep divots to start collecting gunk like in pacelli's link (http://www.richsoil.com/cast-iron.jsp).

I made the mistake with my everyday skillet of making it too smooth. It seasoned nicely but then there was a couple month period where the spatula took the seasoning off in flakes. It's great now, but it took as long for a smooth surface to get seasoning stuck all over, as it did for my larger Lodge pan which I didn't grind to even out completely.

ETA, of course you need to season it after grinding! It takes more effort to season bare metal... probably 3-4 sessions of seasoning in the oven before you can start using it.


Also, glad I ran into this thread! My mother stopped by this morning with a rib roast totally by surprise. Now I know what to do with it!

 

[amy31416]

How to turn a Lodge pan into a Griswold & Erie pan for under $20:
http://www.harborfreight.com/4-12-i...zIjoiOS45OSIsInByb2R1Y3RfaWQi OiI5MDQ4In0=

HOWEVER, make SURE you use a flap disc or other flexible tool:
http://www.harborfreight.com/4-12-in-120-grit-flap-disc-69604.html
And make SURE you don't use a heavy grit, and make SURE you don't dawdle when you're sanding it out. Grinders spin at around 10,000 RPM so if you hold it on the pan for more than a fraction of a second it's going to dig a divot into it. Thus the fine grit and floppy grinding surface: it minimizes that possibility. Keep it fine floppy grit and keep it in motion.

Also, angle grinders feed on human flesh. Earlier in the thread there was mention of men taking up hobbies that cause controlled bleeding.... well, grinder injuries are borderline. The kind of thing where you're putting direct pressure on it, and it doesn't hurt, and you're thinking you'll just superglue it back together, and then you look at it and yeah, maybe stitches are a good idea.

Anyway, back OT... you could do the same thing with sandpaper and a totally worn out brachialis muscle. A flexible back drill-mounted abrasive would work too, and be somewhere in between the angle grinder and hand work for speed. I personally hate grinding with a drill because a minute into it I start thinking "I'd be done by now if this was an angle grinder".

The trick is not to get it TOO fine. What I'd shoot for is to just knock down some of the high spots in the pan - scrape off the uppermost 1/32" or so. Leave some deep divots to start collecting gunk like in pacelli's link (http://www.richsoil.com/cast-iron.jsp).

I made the mistake with my everyday skillet of making it too smooth. It seasoned nicely but then there was a couple month period where the spatula took the seasoning off in flakes. It's great now, but it took as long for a smooth surface to get seasoning stuck all over, as it did for my larger Lodge pan which I didn't grind to even out completely.

ETA, of course you need to season it after grinding! It takes more effort to season bare metal... probably 3-4 sessions of seasoning in the oven before you can start using it.


Also, glad I ran into this thread! My mother stopped by this morning with a rib roast totally by surprise. Now I know what to do with it!

Nice! I have one Erie pan (that's my hometown), I used to have a lot more, but I've moved too much. Growing up, everyone there had a set of Griswold's.

I have the 3rd from left:

 

[brushfire]

Anyway, back OT... you could do the same thing with sandpaper and a totally worn out brachialis muscle. A flexible back drill-mounted abrasive would work too, and be somewhere in between the angle grinder and hand work for speed. I personally hate grinding with a drill because a minute into it I start thinking "I'd be done by now if this was an angle grinder".

The trick is not to get it TOO fine. What I'd shoot for is to just knock down some of the high spots in the pan - scrape off the uppermost 1/32" or so. Leave some deep divots to start collecting gunk like in pacelli's link (http://www.richsoil.com/cast-iron.jsp).

In addition to all the cast iron I've purchased, I've also been given some (inherited and garage sale). On a couple nasty ones I used a 3m roloc on the die grinder - worked pretty well but I found out surfaces can be too smooth. A little tooth seems to hold the seasoning better otherwise it wipes off. For the griddles I used a 3000 psi pressure washer - worked AWESOME (as long as you had the angle right. If I didnt have the angle right, it still worked awesome, but I got soaked)

But yea... 3m roloc or a pressure washer (with rain coat)

 

[osan]

The trick is not to get it TOO fine.

...I found out surfaces can be too smooth.

If you get things too smooth, you can etch the iron. The fastest way would be with some hydrochloric (muriatic) acid from a pool joint or hardware store. Simply pour about 1/8" deep and let it bubble. The acid will start turning yellow as the HCl reacts with the iron to form ferric chloride. Do this OUTSIDE and far from anything you do not want rusting instantly. The acid will fume and those vapors will degrade anything of iron or glass.

Keep a plastic container handy and after a couple of minutes pour the liquid off. The iron will probably be grey or black underneath. You can rinse and check the surface. If small pits have started to form, you're in good shape. You can replace the acid if the etching is not deep enough for you. When done, neutralize with baking soda. Beware that it will foam up with some vigor, so be careful.

Neutralize pan with soda, wash thoroughly, and season immediately to prevent iron from quickly forming a fine, orange surface rust.

As for seasoning, an alternative that I have used to regular food oils is that of linseed. It must be a food-grade oil, of course. Do not go out to the garage and use your boiled or raw oil intended for cabinet and furniture makers. That often contains some lead (may not anymore, but used to). Regardless, it is not food-grade and you most definitely do NOT want to be using it.

Using a cotton or linen rag, introduce a very fine coating of the oil to the surface of the pan. Neither do you need, nor do you want a large amount because unlike most vegetable oils, linseed will impart a very definite taste to the food that some do not like. This is only the base coat of the seasoning and naught but the thinnest layer is necessary.

Heat the pan SLOWLY until just begins to smoke, at which point you remove it from the fire immediately and let it cool naturally. Leave it set a couple of days so that the linseed oil will polymerize. Polymerized linseed oil is like a natural plastic of sorts. It is fairly tough, too, but can be broken if mishandled. Reheat the pan and schlob on some vegetable oil. I like olive oil, but it is really of no matter which you use, whether corn, rape, peanut, etc. Let the pan smoke for a minute or so, adding oil to any place gone "dry". When you are satisfied with the seasoning, remove from heat, allow to cool, and let stand another day or two. Your pan should then be ready for service.

The linseed oil, having polymerized, will stick verily to the iron. Man blacksmiths including myself use a mixture of linseed oil, beeswax, and turps to finish iron. It sticks to the iron far better than the veggie oil. The veggie oil sticks better to the linseed oil than to the iron, and so you end up with a more durable season.

The very thin layer of linseed should not impart any unpleasant flavors to the food. I happen to like linseed oil and drink it as a nutrative, but many people simply do not like it.

That is my alternate method for seasoning cast iron frying pans.

 

[fisharmor]

It must be a food-grade oil, of course. Do not go out to the garage and use your boiled or raw oil intended for cabinet and furniture makers. That often contains some lead (may not anymore, but used to). Regardless, it is not food-grade and you most definitely do NOT want to be using it.

I just found out recently that all "Denatured Alcohol" is, is ethanol with poison intentionally added, so the producers and sellers don't have to comply with the mountain of paperwork involved with making liquor. So it would not surprise me in the least if some other state-induced jackassery required that linseed oil from the hardware store be poisonous.

(My 8yo daughter has been cheerfully helping me shellac pattern boards for the basement, and it's nice to know the federal government has actually made this a more hazardous pursuit for her.)

The linseed oil, having polymerized, will stick verily to the iron. Man blacksmiths including myself use a mixture of linseed oil, beeswax, and turps to finish iron.

I really got into seasoning cast iron after I'd rustproofed some pieces of armor with polymerized motor oil. I imagine the linseed stinks somewhat less!
But it's the same concept all around.

 

[osan]

I really got into seasoning cast iron after I'd rustproofed some pieces of armor with polymerized motor oil. I imagine the linseed stinks somewhat less!
But it's the same concept all around.

Um... was it FISH armor?