Cooking with a cast iron skillet

[sasha_feather]

My standard lunch for myself is something I make in my cast-iron skillet: I start with cut-up potatoes and add whatever vegetables I have in my fridge, and maybe some sausage. I use a bit of olive oil in the bottom of the pan, and add some spices on top. Cook over medium heat until the potatoes turn golden brown.

My problem is this: the potatoes stick to the bottom of the pan, making a layer of stuck-on food that I have to scrub off later. Should I be using less oil? More? Adjusting the heat? Should I simply resign myself to this problem and soak my pan when I'm done?

Comments

[weaverbird]

It sounds like you need to renew the seasoning on your skillet. When the pan is well-seasoned, it's completely non-stick. I cook 'taters to a nice, crispy golden in my skillet all the time and never have a problem.

Lodge has a great page on care of cast iron cookware. There is a link on that page to their instructions for re-seasoning a pan.

Good luck!

[sasha_feather]

Thank you! I will do that right now.

[desh]

I've heard that with cast iron, you're not supposed to [be able to] clean it completely. I'll leave the specifics to someone who knows better than I do...

[sasha_feather]

According to the Lodge website, I think I've been cleaning it too much!

[sporky_rat]

Gonna go with weaverbird on this one. Seasoning! I season mine twice a year - mostly because I use the sucker for everything I cook. Yes, even spaghetti sauce that I'm not supposed to use it for.

[sasha_feather]

I use mine for everything too! It's my favorite thing in my kitchen! :D