Easily Clean your Cast Iron Like a Pro!

There's a big myth that cast iron is hard to clean and take care of. Stick around because we've got some easy methods to clean your cast iron.
#castironcooking #cowboycooking #castiron

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Kent Rollins
Cowboy Cooking, Cast Iron, Outdoor Cooking, Grilling, Dutch Oven Cooking

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[brettelizabethspore]

Was at my cousins last night and we were discussing cleaning cast iron. Then this morning I get up and there is a new video from Cowboy Kent Rollins on what? Cleaning cast iron. Epic! God bless y’all.

[T-Rent]

Found a campfire chard up cast iron in a thrift store. Bought it for $9.00. Took it home and cleaned it up. Turned out to be a 1940 Griswold. It's now my favorite skillet. Love the videos. Keep it up.

[CodyMiller]

I love your videos Cowboy Kent. Me and my 3 year old daughter watch you together every week. She says "I love Cowboy Kent".

[terryschiller]

I'm 68 in a month and my mother always cooked with iron. She cleaned it the same as you do Sir. I showed my two daughters and they do it the same way. Can still remember her telling me "if I catch you washing your cast iron with soap or using metal in it I'll get the wood spoon"! And Sir you never wanted to see that wood spoon! LoL thank you Sir for all your hard work and time. 🤠

[gaittr]

When my grandmother passed there were a number of us grandchildren that were dividing up her possessions. Everyone was going after the jewelry and such. I came across her cast iron skillet that she used to make fried chicken for us in and someone had put it and left it in the dishwasher and it was just as Rusty as you can imagine but that is the number one thing I demanded that I got. I had to take my drill and a metal bristle brush on the end of it and Polished it down to where is actually shiny and then do the whole re-seasoning process. It worked

[shannondixson]

Mr Kent, your wisdom and country boy humor is the BEST!! I enjoy all the videos so much. I’m a outdoor cooking cast iron loving Italian Cowgirl from southeast Texas Hugs to you BOTH 😊

[wallyzworld]

Been cookin on cast iron for 40 plus years, and the one thing I found that cleans really well is a bamboo cleaning whisk from restaurant supply places. They are used for cleaning Woks at Chinese/Asian restaurants. Hot cast iron, hot water and the whisk, it's abrasive enough to remove anything stuck but doesn't hurt the seasoning. Seeing that Dutch oven makes me want to go make some peach cobbler or apple crisp.

[tonywhite-zcim]

I would like to see an actual demonstration of cleaning a camp 12" dutch oven. I find doing one difficult and then I am not sure I get it seasoned well afterwards. The visual would really help. Thanks for all your advice. See ya down that dusty trail!

[jroar]

I hand wash cast iron in the sink with soap and water. Afterwards I dry it by putting it on the stove with a rubbing of olive oil. Then it hang it up in the kitchen. Now, I was digging in a destroyed homestead on a trail back woods in Richmond Virginia. I found an old cast iron skillet about 2 feed in the dirt. It was super rusted needing a lot of work. I took it home to Houston and started my restoration. I first placed it in the oven and used the oven cleaner method. When it cooled off I hit it with steel wool but that wasn’t enough. I used some rust remover as well. I finally hit it with a metal brush on a dermal. It took a week of cleaning to get it back down to metal. Once cleaned I started the seasoning process, which took lots of time but successful. I cook with that skillet all the time. I also found a Dutch oven in a backyard sale. It was also rusted needing a lots of elbow grease and seasoning. That one stays on the stove because I use it about every other day. I use it to fry French fries. I half cook them first and then take them out. Once they cool off I fry them again until the outside is golden brown. I add spices after they come out of the oil. The best fried on Earth. Great and easy cast iron cooking. Thanks for the video!

[yearginclarke]

At 6:19 glad you brought that up. I'm a single guy and frequently I'll eat immediately after the food is out of the skillet because I don't want my food to cool down while cleaning. Particularly fried eggs or just anything that you don't want to cool down too much. However if it's something that will stay warm for a while, or that doesn't matter if it cools down, I'll go ahead and clean my pan while it's already hot.

Now I know you can put your food in a warm oven to keep your food warm while you do the cleaning, but personally I'll just clean it later most of the time. I've found that sometimes an oven used for warming stays on for a while longer than you anticipated for various reasons, particularly if cleaning more than one pan, and depending on how much cleaning is required. Sometimes it would use less electric/gas to eat your food and just re-heat and clean the pans later.

[aguythatworkstoomuch]

I’ve have my grand moms 20” cast iron skillet since she died. It’s probably over 70 years old. I use a soft sponge with NO soap. Then I season it every time with bacon fat that I save. Just a small coating like a teaspoon for the inside and outside. Then in the oven at 350° for 35 minutes. That’s my grandmoms recipe and I always go buy it. And my cast-iron skillet is perfect! It adds flavor to whatever I cook. This has been used at least 5 days a week for over 70 years and it’s a special cooking instrument and I’m lucky to have it

[darylh]

I got started with cast iron several years ago after watching your videos. Just love it. The steam method is an awesome way to clean cast iron. Your absolutely correct that everyone will fight over the cast iron when you are gone!!

[staciesabatino]

Ken and Shan, Great refresher! I'm 54 and have my Great Grandmothers cast iron pan and I have 2 from my Dad I have noticed my Great Grandmothers are in better shape and easier to keep clean the newer ones I have I guess need more time to get to that place. May I say to anyone starting out using cast Iron get a sleeve handle I promise you its a good investment. I made the mistake one time and never want anyone to feel that pain.Thank You both!

[TomHudson]

Years of cooking with cast iron and it was last year watching your how to clean/season cast iron that improved my cooking and preventing things sticking 100%. You are a legend sir! Thank you.

[davidm]

My grandma cooked for seven boys and seven girls and my grandpa, I have two of her skillets, been using them for 25 years, still going strong. I use a metal spatula and scrape it, keep them oiled and seasoned.

[guybowers]

My wife has a large skillet she got from her mom. I have no idea how old that thing is, but it's from way back. I know that. I have always wondered about the buildup on the outside, and now I know it is possible to remove and without causing any damage

[lakota]

Yet again, love the the way you teach cleaning cast iron, you are the best!! Semper fi

[SonsofChuckNorris]

I’m only 4 years old, born in the pandemic! I already know about this method and have been showing it to my grandchildren for years! Thanks for sharing your experience to toddlers like me!

[Pscm]

🖐️ 72 yr old and still learning. Did not know about the soft scrubber but need to try on two 8" lodge skillets given to me. God bless y'all!

[robohippy]

Salt, besides being an abrasive also is an oil emulsifier, which helps the oil mix with water and lift off, and a disinfectant. I am not sure if it pulls any seasoning out of the pan or not, but I wouldn't soak in salt water. For my cutting boards, I use salt and some concentrated lemon juice. The acid in the lemon juice also kills germs. Wouldn't use it cast iron though.