Which oil for high temps

[sturoofer]

Hi all. After a pizza fest this Friday, I want to fire up my oven on Saturday and push a couple of cast iron grill plates into it, Plan is to leave them there for about half an hour or so to get piping hot, drag them out with a rake and drop some seasoned sirloin steaks on them.

I need to season the cast iron grills though, and after a google search I found a list of oils which give temperature ranges. Problem is, they only go up to about 280c, and my oven gets to well over 500c.

So, is it even worth trying to season the cast iron grill plates or will the oil just burn off at those temperatures just leaving the bare cast iron? I intend to brush the steaks with butter and then drop them on the griill plates, so question is, should I season the grill plates and if so, what is the best high temp fat or oil out there?

Thanks!

[Tscarborough]

Re: Which oil for high temps

It works better to season them at low temperatures anyway.

[sturoofer]

Re: Which oil for high temps

Fine thanks, but after I season them, as soon as they get to the high temperatures needed for cooking steak on, isn't that just going to burn off any seasoning?

[deejayoh]

Re: Which oil for high temps

yes, the oven will burn off the seasoning on your pan. First time you pull it out, it will be full of a fine powder. Ouch, that was your seasoning!

Solution: When you're done with the steaks, save the beef fat. Next day, smear it back on your pan, and put it in your oven (which should be around 450-500) for a couple hours. The seasoning will be better than new. I know, I just cooked a bunch of ribeyes in my cast-iron skillet last weekend. Very happy with the new seasoning.

[V-wiz]

Re: Which oil for high temps

If i were you id season then with coconut oil, and not torch the hell out of them. Ive used cast iron many times, however have never burnt the coating off it.

[deejayoh]

Re: Which oil for high temps

If i were you id season then with coconut oil, and not torch the hell out of them. Ive used cast iron many times, however have never burnt the coating off it.

Check out Peter Reinhart's 2 minute ribeye recipe. It's awesome, but it will burn off any oil you put onto a pan. Trick is knowing how to reapply seasoning

[V-wiz]

Re: Which oil for high temps

Check out Peter Reinhart's 2 minute ribeye recipe. It's awesome, but it will burn off any oil you put onto a pan. Trick is knowing how to reapply seasoning

Ya ive seen that vid, its pretty cool, cooking in that kind of heat will burn off the coating, that's for sure. The problem is once to burn it all off your left with lots of carbon and black residue, then you have to start all over, clean, clean clean then apply the oil. Im my opinion not worth it, just slow down and let the flames do its magic.

[deejayoh]

Re: Which oil for high temps

Ya ive seen that vid, its pretty cool, cooking in that kind of heat will burn off the coating, that's for sure. The problem is once to burn it all off your left with lots of carbon and black residue, then you have to start all over, clean, clean clean then apply the oil. Im my opinion not worth it, just slow down and let the flames do its magic.

Well, two things you said I don't agree with based on my experience.
1) Once you pull the pan out of a 900 degree oven - you are left with a pan with absolutely no soot or black residue. It looks like it was just cast. So you don't have to clean the pan to season it. When it comes out of an oven that hot, it's about as clean as you can get it.
2) you really need the oven that hot to get the sear you want on the meat. At least the sear I want anyway. A nice caramelized crust with a medium rare center. Perfect

FWIW I've never seen anyone recommend coconut oil for seasoning. Crisco or animal fat are more common. And with a WFO, it's super simple to reseason the pan the next day. I should have taken pictures of my pan before and after. The seasoning I put back on in the WFO is better than what was on it before.

[V-wiz]

Re: Which oil for high temps

Well, two things you said I don't agree with based on my experience.
1) Once you pull the pan out of a 900 degree oven - you are left with a pan with absolutely no soot or black residue. It looks like it was just cast. So you don't have to clean the pan to season it. When it comes out of an oven that hot, it's about as clean as you can get it.
2) you really need the oven that hot to get the sear you want on the meat. At least the sear I want anyway. A nice caramelized crust with a medium rare center. Perfect

FWIW I've never seen anyone recommend coconut oil for seasoning. Crisco or animal fat are more common. And with a WFO, it's super simple to reseason the pan the next day. I should have taken pictures of my pan before and after. The seasoning I put back on in the WFO is better than what was on it before.

From my experience when you have food in a cast iron pan with a really hot fire it burns and creates lots of unwanted stuff. If you had a empty pan then yes it would come out clean. As far as coconut oil, it is a good oil for high heat cooking.. Anyways just sharing my personal experience