Quote:
Originally Posted by DoubleF
So as a belated Father's day gift, my brother and I nabbed my dad a BBQ. The guys at Barbecue's Galore suggested avocado or coconut oil to season the cast iron grates. My dad has always been a fan of using pork fat or lard to season cast iron woks. I don't think any of the above options are incorrect and canola or olive will probably work fine as well, but any suggestions about the best way to season the grate?
Also, any sightings of those wood grill scrapers at Costco? Most seem to have been sold out at the locations I visited. Worst case, there's a good looking option for a cedar scraper on Amazon for about $27, but I'd like one last swipe at the one from Costco before ordering it.
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Seasoning cast iron is about polymerization of fats through the release of free radicals. It creates a hard, anti-stick coating. You want to choose an oil with a high level of omega 3 fatty acids that doesn't go rancid easily (like pork fat or lard). Avocado and grapeseed are good but flaxseed is the best. It is a drying oil that essentially hardens as it dries and it's the only food edible drying oil and has a low smoke point. The non-edible version is linseed oil and artists use it to mix with oil paints and pigments to create a hard glossy finish.
Olive oil, lards, and
canola don't have a lot of omega-3 so you won't get great polymerization.
EDIT: I wouldn't waste the $ on flaxseed for a grill though. I know all this from working on a cast iron pan. After a quick check, Canola is pretty high in Omega-3 acids. I would use that on a grill.