Jack Liu

I recently got my hands on a gently used Wagner cast iron pan, and WOW, the smoothness of the seasoning of the pan is incredible! My Lodge cast iron pan now looks and feels so rough, and I'm pretty certain that I'll NEVER get that pan to have a seasoning anywhere as glass-smooth as the Wagner. On top of that, the Lodge weighs a TON, while the Wagner feels like 1/3 of the weight of the Lodge, so easy to wield.

Thanks everyone for your helpful advice! It turns out, I needed to oil the pan a little more, and use higher heat (I was previously using medium heat, but medium-high heat seemed to do the trick). My steaks tend to be less marbled and more lean, which is why more oil was needed. After an additional month and a half of using the pan, it's a lot more non-stick now, where a tiny spritz of oil (using an oil mister) is needed for eggs and chicken breasts. Steak is also a lot easier to cook these days, and gives a great sear without overcooking the inside.

So I bought a new preseasoned cast iron pan recently, and I've seasoned the pan over the last two weeks with primarily lard. I've gotten it to the point where I can scramble eggs without it sticking (very happy)! Chicken breasts are also no problem, and come out with a beautiful sear. I use medium heat (electric) when cooking the forementioned foods.

However, for some reason, I still have problems pan searing/frying steak. It still sticks, even after I let the steak sit at room temperature for an hour, and I use a good amount of oil in my cast iron pan over medium heat (electric stove). No matter how I try, the still sticks and I lose all the salt and pepper I patted into my steak ahead of time. My steak comes out of the pan looking pretty bare, with very little sear marks and crusting, probably due to the previous point (it's all sticking to the pan). Afterwards, all the stuck-on salt and pepper crusting scrapes out near effortlessly with my metal flat-edge spatula.

Any suggestions on what I'm doing wrong? Should I use a higher heat to sear?

Thanks!