Cast iron can be a bit of a love-hate relationship.
Just like any grillationship, a little love and attention can go a long way to ensuring the flames don't fizzle out. That's why cleaning and seasoning your cast iron is so important. We can't even begin stress how important it is to care for your cast iron grills and pans.
A good quality, cast iron frying pan or griddle will change your cooking world. Cast iron boasts unrivaled heat retention super powers that make for steady even cooking and is perfect for high temperature searing.
Cast iron cooking grills will give you those pretty grill marks like your favourite steakhouse, while cooking your food evenly so there's no mix and match burnt spots and under-cooked spots.
Most of the cast iron grills on the barbecues we carry from Broil King, Weber or Napoleon are reversible, featuring channeled grills on the underside and a pointed side on the top.
The channeled side is beneficial for cooking foods that produce a lot of drippings - like a roast or turkey - as it will channel any drippings away from the burners, reducing the chance of flare ups.
The pointed side is great for high-heat quick cooking foods like steak or chicken breast.
How to Care for Your Cast Iron
1. Season your cast iron regularly.
Making sure your cast iron is well-oiled on a regular basis will help preserve it's integrity and prevent it from rusting. It's a good idea to season your cast iron cooking grills a few times a season and if you're a seasonal griller, definitely your first and last cooks of the season. You know, you could just grill year round to keep your cooking grills in tip top shape. Just a thought. Jump to the bottom for cast iron seasoning instructions.
2. Clean your cast iron pans and griddles before you put it away.
When it comes to your cast iron pans and cast iron griddles, it's important to make sure that you've cleaned off any food residue that might be stuck onto them. This can degrade the cast iron surface, especially if the food starts to get moldy. Hopefully you knew not to use salt in your cast iron pan. (Salt + cast iron = bad.) If you didn't, now you do!
3. Clean your cast iron grills BEFORE you cook on them, not after.
If you grill on the regular, leaving your cast iron cooking grills with the grease from the food you just cooked on them will actually help to protect the cast iron cooking grates until the next time you use them. When you fire up the grill for your next cook, the grease will come loose and you can begin anew. Yes, we realize this is contradictory to what we just told you about the pans and griddles.
4. Store your cast iron pans & grills in a dry place when not in use.
Whether you're done grilling for the season, taking in your grills in the winter, or storing your cast iron pans and griddles in between uses, it's important to make sure they are dry. Not dried out, but not wet or damp. If they are rode hard and put away wet, you're setting yourself up for cast iron ownership disaster. Don't forget to give it a good seasoning before storing it for a long period of time.
Feel Free to Reach Out to Our Grill Experts for Help
More questions about caring for your cast iron? Get in touch with any questions today!