Here is a simple step by step process for keeping your work horse pan clean and ready to go for the next meal. First, don’t ever use soap! Grandma should have taught you this… Soap takes away the layer of “seasoning” that helps a cast iron skillet cook so well. The seasoning is a layer of oil that penetrates the cooking surface of the cast iron and keeps food from sticking to the surface, while transferring heat evenly.
You will need: paper towels, kosher salt, canola oil and water.
Once you are done using your skillet, let it cool somewhat and fill with a thin layer of water from the tap. Use a flat edge spatula and scrape the large bits from the bottom of the pan. Rinse out the pan at this point with more water. It should come pretty clean just by doing this, but there is a trick to getting the inside coating glossy clean again.
Kosher salt is added to act as an abrasive. Take a paper towel and scour the inside bottom and sides of the pan with the salt. Add a tablespoon of canola oil to the salt and keep scouring until the inside surface is clean, and smooth with no residue. Once the pan is rinsed at this point, the inside should rinse clean like water on a waxed car.
Dry the pan with another paper towel inside and out and lightly add a small amount of canola oil to the inside of the pan again. Use one last paper towel, and wipe the protective layer of canola oil to the entire inside of the pan and sides.
Do this every time you use your pan, and it will stay good as new…even better than new as time goes on.
