Can I start to cook on a cast iron pan while it's smoking?
I like to think that I have nailed the Maillard temperature on my stove. It's my go-to temperature for preheating tri-ply pans, as well as teflon-coated hard-anodized aluminum pans.
After years of relying primarily on tri-ply for cooking, I'm now returning to cast iron. (I lost a perfectly seasoned cast iron pan during a move, and couldn't see myself going through the labor of starting another).
As I preheat my twice-seasoned (once at the factory and once upside down in my oven at 375F for 90 minutes) cast iron pan, I see smoke rising.
Seeing some liquid oil after the second seasoning, I had (carefully and gently) washed (with mild dish soap and the blue-variety scotch-brite) the pan and dried it thoroughly. As I preheat it, it's smoking—despite the washing.
Can I start to cook on a cast iron pan while it's smoking?
It continued to smoke for a few minutes, and I suspect that that means it's not ready for cooking, but I'm not quite sure what the smoke means. Does it mean that the oil has not properly polymerized and it's still burning? Would just leaving it like that (still on the stove at the Maillard setting, not in the oven) for 30 minutes do the trick? (I'm reluctant to use the oven because the drips from the upside-down pan were far too messy.)
Best Answer
Yes, you can - for foods that are cooked at high temperatures, like steak, the oil is commonly heated until smoking anyways.
I suspect that the reason your pan is still smoking is due to the fact that you put too much oil when seasoning it - "I'm reluctant to use the oven because the drips from the upside-down pan were far too messy". When seasoning your pan, all you need is the thinnest of coats, and if there is so much extra oil that it drips out, you should wipe most of it out. Having too much oil results in a sticky or tacky surface rather than a smooth patina, and even if you manage to polymerise such a thick layer of oil, it tends to chip off more easily.
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Is cast iron supposed to smoke when seasoning?
If you have a black, seasoned cast iron skillet that smokes, the problem is that you have the heat up too high. Cast iron distributes heat really well, so in most, if not all, cases, you shouldn't need to turn the heat up any higher than medium.Why does it smoke so much when I cook with cast iron?
A seasoned cast-iron pan can smoke because the heat is too high with either no oil or too much oil on the surface. While this does not cause permanent harm to the pan in most cases if it's only for short periods of time like while cooking eggs or bacon. It will stop smoking when the pan cools down.How do I get my pan to stop smoking?
Turn the heat on your burner to medium or medium-high as the pan begins to cool to maintain the temperature of the pan. The result will be a nice even sear with as little smoke as possible. Of course, there will still be some smoke.Can I put cast iron with high heat?
Unlike thinner pans, like aluminum, the heat level doesn't fluctuate in a cast iron. This makes the cast iron an ideal choice for foods that need high heat. Meats that need a hard sear but shouldn't be scorched, like steak, or roasts that should be browned before braising, perform beautifully in a cast iron.How To Cook With Cast Iron
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