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Typically, it is produced by melting butter and allowing the different components to separate by density. The water evaporates, some solids float to the surface and are skimmed off, and the remainder of the milk solids sink to the bottom and are left behind when the butter fat (which would then be on top) is poured off.
Do you know how to make clarified butter? I can't buy it close to where I live, and would love to try it. Do you use it just as you would other shortenings?
Melt a stick of butter in the micowave in a glass measuring cup. no boiling, just till it is all melted. Put it in a warm place for 5 minutes, pour off the oil into a container leaving the milk solids and salt in the cup. Save the oil, toss the solids. Done.
Only time I ever use water (never soap) on iron is when a water or milk based sauce has stuck on it, and I simmer it for a while until it floats free. rinse off, wipe out with paper towels, re grease with lard. If I get one that is in rough shape (we have a bunch of them.......the partner collects them.....she's never seen one she didn't love, even the Asian cheapies) and I have to start from scratch and get rid of rust and dirt, I just clean them with course salt until everything is down to iron, saturate it with lard put a lot of lard in it, put in an oven around 300 degrees, let the lard soak in (pull it out several times and roll the lard around the bottom and sides), wipe it dry, and its ready to use.
Do you know how to make clarified butter? I can't buy it close to where I live, and would love to try it. Do you use it just as you would other shortenings?
I prefer doing several pounds at one time. Melt it in a pot until it is melted but not really hot, strain it through cheese cloth (or a coffee filter) into a jar until the jar is full. That removes all the milk solids. Put a tight lid on the jar and store it in the fridge upside down. Come back the next day and, over the sink, open the lid slightly and let the water drain out. Whats left is pure clarified butter.
I clean it with a scouring pad without soap; I may use a little only once in awhile if something very smelly cooked in it.
I dry with a towel and put back on my stove on low heat for a minute or two to completely dry. I then store in my closet with a paper towel inside the pan just in case any moisture forms.
I've never oiled mine again after the first few times. I've had my pan for over 20 years now.
I never "clean" mine. I wipe them out with dry paper towels. If the carbonized gunk gets too heavy, I lightly scour with kosher salt.
Some people shouldn't have cast iron cookware, as in anal people. My sister is one... she thinks everything needs to be scrubbed with soap and Chore Girl in steaming hot water, or worse, put in the dishwasher. Part of the attraction of well-seasoned cast iron is the flavorful layer of cooked-on natural teflon. Not everything needs to be sanitized and sparkling.
I'm giving a friend a cast iron grill pan, pre-seasoned, as a gift. She has never had one nor used one.
I used mine at her home to grill some steaks and when it was time to clean up she started to wash my grill pan. I told her not to as I prefer to keep the seasoned pan and she was horrified that I was taking it home "dirty".
The way I wash mine is to boil water in it and then take it to the sink and use a small grill brush to get out unnecessary gunk. Maybe once a quarter I'll use a bit of soap and water and then dry it immediately. I store it in my oven.
I normally don't clean it every time unless I'm going from steak to chicken, chicken to pork, fish, etc.
Before using it I take a paper towel with olive oil on it and quickly rub it down. I use it at least 2 x week and have had it many years.
In my online research, there are many schools of thought about the care and use of indoor grill pans. I want to give my friend cleaning instructions when I give her the gift.
Your input please? Thanks very much!
I use cast iron several times a week. If it's well seasoned (as it should be kept), it's virtually stick free.
Normal Cleaning: Hot water to rinse it thoroughly and dry with paper towel.
Stubborn Cleaning: Hot water + a stiff brush, Lodge sells an excellent cleaning brush.
More Stubborn Cleaning: Hot water, a stiff brush, and kosher salt.
NEVER, EVER, EVER USE SOAP ON SEASONED CAST IRON!
When cast iron is well seasoned, foods really don't stick to it. The clean up to maintain that seasoning isn't hard, just different. Cast iron has fine "pits" in it's surface. As you cook with it, food, oils, and other fats fill in those "pits" and create a smooth non-stick surface. Washing with soap removes that film and then foods stick like crazy. Follow the cleaning instructions above and occasionally wipe with a light coating of oil, inside & out.
I never "clean" mine. I wipe them out with dry paper towels. If the carbonized gunk gets too heavy, I lightly scour with kosher salt.
Some people shouldn't have cast iron cookware, as in anal people. My sister is one... she thinks everything needs to be scrubbed with soap and Chore Girl in steaming hot water, or worse, put in the dishwasher. Part of the attraction of well-seasoned cast iron is the flavorful layer of cooked-on natural teflon. Not everything needs to be sanitized and sparkling.
I am reviving this useful thread as I have been looking for a way to rid my Lodge cast iron indoor grill of a burnt rancid grease smell that gets into the meats when I cook them. What i read so far hasn't helped.
I have not had the grill for too long and the first few times I used it, it worked fine. Having followed the recommendations to never use soap on it, the burnt grease never cleaned well from the very beginning..and eventually I had to use a bit of soap as I was getting desperate to get rid of the rancid burnt smell.
Still didn't help.
There is now very stubborn, glued carbonized grease or maybe just carbonized food that won't come out no matter what I do. I used hot water but no matter how much I wipe with the paper towels, there is still black carbonized stuff coming out on the paper towel and the rancid grease smell is still there.
What should I do at this point?
Should I place the grill pan in the oven at a high temp so all that the glued-in stuff can carbonize...and then start all over? Cleaning with course salt and then seasoning, etc?
Fontucky above says that you're supposed to get a "flavorful layer of cooked-on natural Teflon"...but what if this flavor is plain rancid? Then I want it off.
Any advice will be greatly appreciated !
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Cast iron pots and pans .... cleaning in a fire.
