WHY is Cast Iron so Needy?

By that I mean, why is my dad so protective over our cast iron wok?

SPOILER ALERT:
It’s because I made stir fry this week
and forgot the very specific directions to care for our pan.

---

I like to think of my dad as THE KEEPER OF THE WOK,
knowing exactly how to keep it clean and cared for.

And he’s USUALLY the one making the stir fry.

But I was feeling adventurous, and had a hankering for some tofu and veggies;
so I decided to roll the dice and bust out the wok.

I have to admit, the stir fry came out good!
And I was feeling pretty accomplished about it.

Until my dad noticed the dirty wok sitting on the stovetop.

We walked through what to do next time:

How I should remove the food as soon as it’s done cooking,
and use some oil and a rag to wipe it out.

This made me curious.

For example: why not just wash it in the sink with soap?

Seasoned?

Of course!

Gotcha, then it must mean to flav—

Right, okay. Nice and slippery.

So I can’t use soap so that we make/maintain the “seasoning” on the wok, and that will in turn make the pan non-stick. We’re basically cast iron Zambonis? Cool.

But none of this really answers WHY cast iron pans need to be treated differently.

Thankfully, the internet’s rabbit hole for cast iron is VERY expansive,
and honestly, a little heated.

Ba-dum-bum-chhhhhh.

There are LOTS of different opinions on the care and cleaning of cast iron, so I chose to keep my research focused on the WHY special care is needed; not WHAT exactly the care is.

Simply put, adding oil to your cast iron to clean it creates a “polymer layer”…
A.K.A. the “seasoning”

Even though the surface of the pan might feel smooth,
it’s actually filled with a bunch of little canyons.
The added oil is used to fill those in, kind of how a dentist fills in a cavity.

This leaves a nice & even surface for your stir fry veggies to glide around the pan!

The polymer layer also prevents the metal from rusting,
which is good because no one wants Ol’ Honest Abe in their dinner!

It seems like cast iron has a little bit of a learning curve,
but is actually less work once you have the basics down.
I made a little tip list to make everything more digestible (ba-dum-bum…),
and so I don’t send my dad spiraling about his wok again. Enjoy!

Dummy’s Guide to Cast Iron Anything

• Always preheat your pan, and never use heat settings above medium-low.

• Never use cold water on a hot (or warm) pan.

• They are IMPOSSIBLE to ruin (unless you throw it at the driveway or something). So if something seems off, try re-seasoning, or heating in the oven.

• The “seasoning” will layer over time. This is what gives you a reliable non-stick experience!

• Some people say you can use a small amount of soap, but I think it’s up to the individual… my dad is not one of those individuals.

• NEVER put away a cast iron when it’s still wet. After cleaning with oil, let it sit on the burner at a medium temperature to let the oil bake.

If you’re a Cast Iron lover, leave your tips in the comments!
Maybe I can teach my dad something (wink).

Thanks for reading!