Cooking with Carbon Steel

Written By: Mike Gasper

Carbon steel pans are a great addition to your cooking arsenal. They are lightweight, durable, packable, and can be used on a campfire, gas, or electric stove. With proper care and cleaning, they will last a lifetime.

Use and Utensils

Carbon steel is ideal for cooking steaks and sautéing vegetables. During our cooking class, Chef Jody explained how to cook with carbon steel. One thing I always remember him saying is to preheat your pan and oil—you never want to put cold food into a cold pan.

For steak (or any meat), it should be as close to room temperature as possible before cooking. When sautéing vegetables, stir them occasionally as they cook.

When it comes to utensils, wood is my first choice, but plastic, silicone, and metal can also be used.

Cleaning

Cleaning up is very easy, and I classify it into three stages:

1. Light cleaning: Simply wipe your pan out with a paper towel and put it away.
2. Moderate cleaning: If food is stuck and wiping alone won’t remove it, add some salt to the pan and rub it with a paper towel. Repeat until clean.
3. Heavy cleaning: If the above methods don’t work, add water to the pan, bring it to a boil, and scrape it with a spatula. This helps loosen stubborn food particles.

Reseasoning

When I first get a carbon steel pan, I use method 3 and add Dawn dish soap to remove the factory protective coating. This allows me to season the pan the way I like.

After seasoning, I avoid using soap or abrasive cleaning pads to maintain the pan’s nonstick surface.

Seasoning Your Pan

Most carbon steel pans come pre-seasoned and ready to use out of the box. However, I prefer to clean them (using method 3 with soap) and season them myself.

For seasoning, oils should have a high smoke point (450°F and above). My favorite is grapeseed oil, but avocado, vegetable, and canola oil work well too.

I avoid using butter or olive oil for the initial seasoning, as they can leave a sticky residue. However, they are great for cooking once the pan is properly seasoned.

Seasoning Steps

1. After cleaning, dry the pan over heat. Add a small amount of oil (about the size of a dime) and spread it evenly with a paper towel.
2. Heat the pan over medium to high heat until the oil starts to smoke—this is the smoke point of your oil.
3. Wipe out any excess oil that pools up. You want a very thin, even layer of oil. Remove the pan from heat and let it cool.
4. Repeat multiple times—thin layers work best for building a durable seasoning.

Pro Tip

Instead of seasoning manually, clean your pan and then cook some good old bacon over a campfire—this will season the pan naturally!

When properly seasoned, your pan should have a glossy black appearance.

Caring for Your Coalcracker Folding Skillet

The Coalcracker Folding Skillet comes with a wood handle, and I like to use walnut oil to protect it.

If using your pan over an open fire, I don’t season the outside—I let the ash and flames develop a natural patina.

For transport, I store my pan in a canvas bag when packing it in my backpack. This helps keep everything clean.

Stay in the Woods & Cook,

Mike