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Old CI pans are better than the new ones cuz they used to mill down the rough texture on the cooking surface. Too much labor & expense for modern-day companies, so now they just leave the cooking surface as rough as the mold it came from. Eventually, a metal spatula will shave down the roughness (never use a plastic spatula on cast iron). Here's what I do to cheat on the seasoning process... take a grinder to the cooking surface of a cheap CI pan. Use ever-diminishing grit sizes till you have a smooth, shiny surface. Then just season as you normally do. This method turns a cheap, modern-day CI pan into one just as good as the old ones... gets a coupla years head start on developing a slick, glassy, stick-free surface. When cooking, let 'em get really hot before you put anything in them. Ain't no non-stick material on there to burn & it develops a totally even temp across the surface.
I know what you're thinking. You're thinking, "Dang! That Duck dude is some kinda intelligentsia genious kinda guy!" But you're wrong. I've gone vegan & veggies don't seem to care if they're on an evenly-heated, smooth, glassy, stick-free surface. Meat, on the other hand, totally loves a well-seasoned cast iron pan. You degenerate carnivores would be well-served using my method of preparing cast iron for cooking meat. Might as well enjoy yourselves now, cuz you won't get to heaven destroying the planet & being mean to animals. Won't be nothin' but vegans up there. Maybe a few 7th Day Adventists & assorted Mormons. Wonder if we can eat meat once we're up there? Maybe a fat BLT with heirloom tomatoes...
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