Since meals have been cooked within the fireplace, forged iron has been a significant a part of house cooks’ culinary experiences. For one man, a current journey with the smelted steel has led him to a spot maybe no different has gone earlier than: a mirror end.
On Jan. 22, Reddit consumer u/fatmummy222 who requested to be known as “Dewey,” posted a set of images on the r/castiron subreddit that rapidly went viral. Within the put up, which has been upvoted greater than 52,000 occasions, the consumer shares the most recent chapter in his months-long cast-iron story: an astonishing 80 coats of seasoning. Sure, eighty.
“I’m at 80 coats now,” Dewey wrote in his now-viral Reddit post. “Don’t do it, guys. That is only for web clout and for ‘science’. And likewise to make random web strangers unreasonably mad.”
For these unfamiliar, seasoning cast-iron cookware is important to organize its tough floor for cooking.
By making use of a impartial oil throughout its floor and inserting it within the oven, a coating is baked onto the floor of the cast-iron merchandise, sealing it and making the forged iron’s floor nonstick.
Though it’s beneficial that you simply solely want one coat of seasoning to start out searing these steaks and baking these Dutch child pancakes, many people apply a number of coats of seasoning onto their cast-iron skillets and Dutch ovens. However, like, 4 or 5.
Making use of 80 coats of seasoning is one thing else altogether, and from the greater than 4,000 feedback on Dewey’s newest put up, reactions to his now-mirror-like skillet vary from awe to confusion and rather more.
“Dude grasp your mirror again in your toilet,” wrote one Redditor.
“OP is doing the lord’s work,” commented one other Redditor, to which one other punnily replied, “The lard’s work?”
Nonetheless, there are some commenters who expressed actual concern for the seasoner extraordinaire, questioning aloud if he’s doing the rest together with his time aside from seasoning a single cast-iron skillet.
“OP’s put up historical past is a visit,” reads one other Reddit remark. “I really feel like they dropped actually the whole lot else of their life to season this pan and make eggs for 2 months straight. They haven’t even talked about steak just lately. OP, blink twice should you need assistance.”
Dewey’s seasoning journey with this particular skillet started all the way back in December 2022. He tells TODAY.com that seasoning and cooking with forged iron is not only for “science” and “web clout”; the devoted seasoner additionally says that cast-iron care is his approach to unwind.
“I’ve been seasoning forged iron and carbon metal for a very long time,” Dewey says.
Dewey says he just lately discovered the r/castiron subreddit, becoming a member of and sharing his experiences with the age-old kitchen merchandise. “Folks will share seasoning concepts and recipes, and I bought extra into it.”
He says he simply enjoys the seasoning course of, normally seasoning this explicit skillet as soon as every single day or so. “I similar to how the pan takes care of. It’s satisfying. It’s like whenever you polish your footwear and make all of it good and glossy,” he says.
Commenters on the thread had many, many questions for Dewey, however probably the most prevalent one was: Why?
“It’s each [experimental and meditative],” Dewey says, including that he has seasoned this explicit skillet with a combination of Crisco and grapeseed oil, amongst different strategies. “I really get pleasure from doing it and I’m additionally curious. How far can I push it? How far can I am going? Can I get an precise mirror end?”
For these worried about the smell of his home after baking oily forged iron this many occasions, Dewey says that individuals nervous about that in their very own houses can simply “open the window.” He provides that his spouse and daughter have additionally by no means complained, so he isn’t too nervous about that.
“On the subreddit, some individuals are slightly set of their methods,” Dewey says, including that when folks do experiments like he has, a whole lot of pushback is certain to occur. That’s not stopping the intrepid seasoner, nonetheless: Dewey plans on persevering with so as to add coats and doc his journey on Reddit.
“I feel what I wish to say is, you understand, simply let folks get pleasure from what they do. Doesn’t damage anybody you understand?” Dewey says. “I feel folks ought to simply loosen up. It’s so enjoyable.”
By our estimation, he’ll possible attain 100 coats by St. Patrick’s Day. Maybe he’ll use his well-oiled skillet for soda bread. ‘Tis the season.
