cooking with cast iron

I have seen a few utube vids of folks putting the seasoning directly on the cast iron pan first, before they put the food on. Why is that? Why not season the food directly? Does it really make that much of a difference?
Thanks
Ben

They probably want the seasonings to caramelize. Like a Cajun blackening.

Many chefs will NOT put salt on a raw piece of meat. The salt causes the blood/moisture to come to the surface, and can dry out (toughen) a good piece of meat. That is the function of Kosher salt (which is correctly called "kashering salt"). It extracts the juices, which is part of the preserving process.

Pre-seasoning the pan can lead to bitterness, and/or a burnt taste if improperly done. I would be reluctant to do it with any mixture containing herbs for that reason.

I sometimes add seasoning to a cast iron pan before the food because I'm being impatient waiting for the pan to heat up enough so that the food will cook with less sticking. But its easy to burn the seasonings, so usually I refrain.

I can't make a connection between the practice and cast iron cooking other than you saw it on youtube.

In the South we have always cooked on it and frankly there are very few mysteries involved with it. Once you
have the cookware for awhile it gets better and better.

H Ben Bundy wrote:I have seen a few utube vids of folks putting the seasoning directly on the cast iron pan first, before they put the food on. Why is that? Why not season the food directly? Does it really make that much of a difference?
Thanks
Ben

Hi. I've cooked for many years and know that we often roast our herbs or spices first thing. So, if I'm making a soup or stew or sauce, I'll often dry roast the herbs/spices first thing. Then I add my fat (butter or olive oil) and saute the 'holy trinity', for example. (That's onions, celery and carrots)

For East Indian spice blends I'll always dry roast them and grind them to make my own custom curry blends. But be careful- it can get really hard to breath in the kitchen when dry roasting those spices. Watch your eyes too! *burning, tearing eyes*