If you had to pare down your kitchen gear to just a few items, what would make the cut?  What would be quickly dispatched to the charity pile?

One of the first items I would latch onto and hold closely to my chest to protect it from dispatch is my iron skillet.  I love that thing!  It is such a close friend, I should give it a name!

Note that my best pal here is cooking bacon and eggs for The Bearded One.  Now, you frequent cooks out there know that cooking eggs in any skillet can be a nightmare.  The egg sticks to the pan and is a pain in the patoot to get clean.  Not with my well seasoned pal.  The egg slips right off.  No muss, no fuss.

But that brings me to maintaining a well seasoned iron skillet.  My daughter knows to return the pan to me for cleaning.  I guard the condition of my pal zealously.

My cleaning and seasoning regime:

After cooking wipe out the pan with a paper towel to remove the bulk bits of oil and debris.

Scrub the pan with a brush (this one is made for just this purpose by Lodge).  If needed, treat my pal with a shower under running water while brushing.  Rinse.

Heat the pan over a very hot burner until all moisture is gone.

Look at that beautiful non-stick complexion!

Now, if after drying, my pal is not shining with non-stick, well-seasoned perfection, I rub him well with oil using a paper towel.  I rub and heat the pan until hot to leave the surface perfect for the next cooking call.

Occasionally, rarely, I have some stubborn bits of food on the surface.  I generally simmer a bit of water  in the pan to loosen them.  Very rarely, I use a bit of dish detergent on my pal but immediately re-season with a few coats of well rubbed and heated oil.

This guy will last a lifetime or two or three.  In fact, I am not the first owner of this guy so who knows how many generations of friends he has already served!