"Smoke seasoning" cast iron?

[mdboatbum]

I discovered something interesting this week. I wanted to make a Chicago style deep dish pizza. I usually make these in a 9"'cake pan, but I'd forgotten I'd donated this to the Mini WSM to act as an additional heat diffuser. Basically I just put it upside down on the steamer insert when I want a little more gentle heat on the bottom of whatever I'm cooking.
Anyway, not having another suitable pan for the pizza, I decided to clean up the 9" cake pan. After scrubbing the accumulated gunk off the bottom, I discovered a a shiny, smooth, hard as glass coating on the inside. Not thinking, I went ahead and scrubbed the crap out of it with a green scrubby pad, hot water and dish soap. This had zero effect on the coating. I used it for the pizza, which popped out with no sticking whatsoever, then washed it again. The coating is completely unfazed, and there was no smoke flavor added to the pizza.
Here's what it looked like after the second washing. I tried to leave it wet to show the water still beads like a freshly waxed car.

image.jpg

• mdboatbum
• Aug 21, 2015

I know it's not a great photo, but that was a gray steel cake pan before being used in the smoker. My cast iron pan won't fit in my smoker, but I can't help wondering if this might be a useful way of seasoning cast iron.
By the way, the pizza was baked at 450°, so high heat doesn't seem to affect the coating either.

 

[mdboatbum]

Oh, the scratches in the pan were there before, so they're actually under the coating. They're the result of a pineapple upside down cake that burned, and my hamfisted efforts to scrape out the caramelized sugar.

 

[areallynicegirl]

Interesting..... it wasn't non stick like that before?

 

[mdboatbum]

No. In fact I accidentally lied, it's actually an aluminum cake pan. Was bright silver to start out with. I'm thinking of trying to fry an egg in it just to see.

 

[areallynicegirl]

I Say Go For it.

 

[mdboatbum]

I believe it was this pan.
http://www.michaels.com/celebrate-it-round-cake-pan-2-pack/10051517.html#q=Cake+pan&start=32
Got them about 12 years ago to make a wedding cake for my sister.

 

[areallynicegirl]

I have loads of those pans. Love those.

 

[mdboatbum]

Well I'll be. Egg slid around like it was on wheels. Even flipped it. Video is uploading to YouTube now, will post in a bit.

 

[areallynicegirl]

You should get a cheapy pan and stick it on the smoker. One that is not currently non stick, and see what happens!

 

[mdboatbum]

That was a cheapie, uncoated aluminum pan. Wasn't nonstick at all. Not sure if it was the exact one I linked to, but it looked the same. I think it was around $5 12 years ago.

 

[mdboatbum]

 

[mdboatbum]

I used a small pat of butter, maybe a little over a teaspoon. Cooked over medium heat. Pan was never "seasoned" in any way other than coated with smoke. I'm a little surprised. I don't think a plain aluminum pan would have an egg sliding around like that.

 

[jcollins]

Very nice...i wonder how long that smoke seasoning will last 

 

[mdboatbum]

I have no idea. Seems pretty tough. I'd suspect that like any other seasoning, it'll improve and build up with use.

 

[jcollins]

Hmmmmmmm very nice discovery i always knew to season a smoker with smoke and grease never thought about that seasoning working like that.

 

[mdboatbum]

Me neither. What struck me was the evenness and apparent toughness of the coating. I might go out and get a small, unseasoned cast iron pan this weekend and try it out just to see how it works on cast iron. Im thinking a thin coat of flax oil and a few hours of high heat smoke might give a really nice seasoning. The cake pan, however, had no oil applied. I just tossed it in there to block the heat directly off the coal basket. I think it was in there for 2 or 3 smokes, maybe 10 or 12 hours total time.

 

[cats49er]

Was there any substance applied to the pan or any thing in the steamer pan other than water?Also how long was the pan in the smoker? All this is very interesting. Watch out they will be coning from Langley to see you soon.  LOL                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     OOPs see your last post answered my Question.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     

 

[mdboatbum]

No water pan, never use one. Just charcoal and pecan wood chunks and whatever food I'm smoking.