By ShowMeStepByStepPublished Updated
Based on a video by Cowboy Kent Rollins.
Put the cast iron pan on the stove over medium heat. The iron has to be hot before any water touches it. Cold water on hot iron will crack the pan, and warm water on cool iron just leaves you with a wet skillet.
Let it heat for a couple of minutes - you'll see a wisp of smoke when it's ready.
While the pan heats up, turn the kitchen tap to full hot and let it run. You want water hot enough that it would burn your finger if you touched it.
Hot water on hot iron is the rule. The temperature match is what creates the steam that does the cleaning, and it's also what keeps the pan from cracking.
Carry the hot pan to the sink (use an oven mitt) and pour the hot water in. Stand back - it'll steam aggressively for a few seconds.
That steam is the whole secret. It loosens stuck-on food without you scrubbing, which means you don't strip the seasoning.
Tip
Keep your face out of the steam path. The first burst comes off fast.
Once the steam dies down, use the soft side of a sponge or a rubber spatula to push the food off the surface. After the steam has done its work, most of it lifts off with almost no pressure.
Skip the metal scrubber and the rough side of the sponge. Both will strip the seasoning you've worked to build up.
If something is really baked on - burnt eggs, cooked-down gravy, that kind of mess - the steam method might leave a residue. Sprinkle a generous layer of coarse kosher salt over the cooking surface, add just a splash of water, and scrub with the soft side of a sponge.
The salt is abrasive enough to lift burnt-on food but won't scratch the seasoning. The little bit of water is what dissolves and moves the salt around. Rinse the salt out when you're done.
Tip
Don't use fine table salt - the grains are too small to get any abrasive action.
Wipe the pan dry with a rag, then put it back on the burner over medium heat for a minute or two to drive off any moisture you missed. Water trapped in the pan is what makes cast iron rust.
While the pan is still warm, drop a few drops of olive oil onto the surface and rub it in with a paper towel or rag - bottom, sides, everywhere. Buff off the excess so the pan is barely shiny, not slick.
Re-season every single time you cook with it. Not once a week. Not when you remember. Every time. That's how the non-stick surface builds up over years.
Tip
Olive oil and flaxseed oil are the two go-tos. Avoid butter or vegetable oils that go rancid.
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