Fast and easy way to removing seasoning from a carbon steel pan

My wife got me a lodge carbon steel pan for Christmas. Which I love by they way. Last night when I got home she was making some pork loin with a sauce in it. When I started to help and took out the pork and sauce.....

My black seasoned pan was now silver. What is in the sauce? She tells me that I only said not to cook tomato stuff in it.

"Right because its so acidic, what is in the sauce?" Balsamic (as she rolls her eyes and makes a face) vinegar.

That's right! If you want to strip a pan boil some vinegar in it!

Man I am not happy!

Now the pan will make several trips to a hot oven and get a few coats of oil.

Sorry to hear about your pan, that's a bummer. I use vinegar to clean my stainless steel pans, as you discovered it works great.

My first coat of oil left my pan a redish brown. Is that normal? I think it will be just fine after some use and re seasoning. What do you think

You can fix the pan or get a new one. Not so with a wife. Sorry about that. Just give her a hug for cooking dinner and grrrrrrrrr in solitude. Hope the pork was tasty.

Quick re-seasoning tip for you...Simmer 1 cup of water on medium heat with enough potato peeling in the pan to fill (completely covering) the flat surface for about 20 minutes. Rinse out the pan and coat the pan with grape seed or avocado oil and let it "absorb" into the porous metal. Give it a good wipe down and repeat if (most likely) necessary. This should bring the life back to her.

Sorry to hear about the mishap! Big fan of carbon steel pans.

I think the reddish brown color is fine. Re-season it like you normally would and it should be fine for another 100 years.

deruitem said:

My first coat of oil left my pan a redish brown. Is that normal? I think it will be just fine after some use and re seasoning. What do you think

Click to expand...

Pics. would help. It should be just fine. Mine are a little reddish brown when I do the first seasoning after stripping them down.

Here's a couple of pics. of the lid of the last oven I stripped and re-seasoned. They blacken up just fine with use.

deruitem said:

My first coat of oil left my pan a redish brown. Is that normal? I think it will be just fine after some use and re seasoning. What do you think

Click to expand...

Yes. The redish brown is a bit sticky but will turn black with more heat and over time. My 2¢ anyway.

Used it for eggs today. Seems to be just fine